View report page

Ophthalmic Clinic
The two specialists who attend weekly run a separate service for different parts of
the Area, which is divided into two, based on the areas of the school nurses responsible
for the respective clinics, and the nurses are individually responsible for appointments
for children in their area—one based on Ford Road and the other on Five Elms. The
two ophthalmic clinics, however, are held at Becontree where there is special provision
and equipment.
There is much that is similar in the two reports received, and both ophthalmologists
again plead for the appointment of a dispensing optician—a request that has been repeated
for the past five years. I give below both reports this year instead of combining the
two as previously.
Dr. Regal reports as follows:—
During 1960, I held 50 ophthalmic sessions at Becontree Clinic. 771 children
attended, 198 of whom were seen for the first time. This gives an average attendance
of 15—16 cases.
Our patients are referred to us mainly by the school medical officer or the school
nurse, some from the Infant Welfare Clinic, a few are sent by their family doctor,
and in some instances parents approach us on their own initiative or prompted by the
school teacher.
During the year we meet every type of pathological eye condition, but our main
work is refraction work and the treatment of squints. Thus, of the 198 new cases 120
were in need of glasses and of the remaining old cases 179 received new glasses, and for
another 17 new lenses were fitted into their old frames. As far as the treatment of
squints goes, I should like to mention with gratitude and appreciation the very good
co-operation we receive from the hospitals and the orthoptic departments. Their reports
come speedily and the waiting time for appointments and operations is very short.
Unfortunately, each week there are parents who fail to attend without giving reason
or notification, thus taking up valuable time from which another child could have benefited.
This also makes additional work for the health visitor and clinic nurse who go
and visit the absentees, and I should like to express my special gratitude for their untiring
efforts. At the end of the year there was a waiting list of 85 old cases and 17 new cases.
I will not finish this report without pleading again for the presence of a dispensing
optician at our sessions from which everybody would benefit and which might also prevent
the ever increasing pirating inclinations of some outside opticians of which we have very
concrete evidence.
65