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25
PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE
Miss J. McBride, M.C.S.P., A.P.T.A., Superintendent Physiotherapist
The existing therapeutic services at St Giles' School have recently
been expanded with the employment of a part-time occupational therapist.
Her job will cover the area of the child's life which hitherto has fallen
between the teachers and physiotherapists. This gap involves the many
aids to daily living, dressing abilities, caliper care, suitability of classroom
furniture, and advice on the adaptation of bicycles and tricycles,
which is of vital importance as this is sometimes the only means by which
a handicapped child can be independently mobile. There is no doubt already
about the significant rewards that will materialize from this new impetus
in the rehabilitation team.
It is fortunate that it is possible to send our staff on post-graduate
courses for continuing education makes it impossible for people to stand
still. The use of new drugs does have a revolutionary effect on our work;
in particular the use of Intal has considerably reduced the case load of
patients with chest conditions. There is now more time to devote to the
severe disablement of the 21 cases of Spina Bifida who are having regular
treatment and routine assessment It is comforting to find that the therapists
at St. Giles' are made so welcome at the Queen Mary's Spina Bifida Unit, for
these link-ups over shared patients are invaluable for providing a more
scientific approach to the problems of life-long disability.
SPEECH THERAPY SERVICE
Mr. J.R..Brook, Principal Speech Therapist
During 1970 there was a steady increase in the work of the Speech
Therapy Section. Over the year the number of treatment sessions increased
by more than 20%. The number of children seen and the number of discharges
has also increased by well over 20%. I am quite sure that this is due not only
to the good staffing over the year, but also to the continued effect of reorganisation
of the structure of the Service as was mentioned in last years'
report The 3 Senior Therapists responsible for particular areas of the Section's
work release the Principal Therapist to concentrate on the management of the
Service as a properly run, increasingly effective organisation. The provision
of a clerk during the latter half of the year has also contributed to the greater
amount of treatment undertaken by the Section.
The work of the Speech Therapy Section in the Special Schools area is
now on a much firmer foundation as Mrs. Robertson the Senior Therapist has
become familiar with the Schools concerned. This post is proving very
valuable as the demands on the Section as a whole increase. It is quite impossible
for the Principal of this busy Section to maintain the necessary