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Ophthalmic Clinic
The two specialists who attend weekly run a separate service for different parts of
the area, which is divided into three, 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 Becontree Avenue, one 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:—
Dr. Regal reports as follows:—"Two ophthalmic sessions have been held each
week throughout the year. The North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board have
authorised the extension of these sessions to an equivalent of two and one-half sessions
per week, but owing to the difficulty of obtaining the services of an ophthalmologist, it
has not been possible to arrange this additional fortnightly session.
1960 1961
Attendances 771 768
New cases seen 198 206
Glasses ordered for new cases 120 138
Glasses or lenses ordered for old cases 196 188
Numbers of sessions 50 49
As shown in this table there is hardly any difference in the figures, the very small
decline in the number of attendances being insignificant, especially as the number of
sessions held was one less than in the preceding year.
The age of out patients ranges from babyhood, when they are referred to us by the
Infant Welfare Clinic, up to school leaving age. We see, of course, all sorts of pathological
eye conditions but the bulk is abnormal visual acuity and squints. There especially I
can only praise the good co-operation we have from the orthoptic departments, their
efficiency and their speedy and detailed reports. I should like also to express my gratitude
to the hospitals; our cases are seen there without any delay and the attitude of the
Consultant staff is most helpful.
We usually see our patients at six monthly intervals, the more settled cases permit
a longer interval of nine months, but the very young ones have to be seen more frequently,
especially when we wish to satisfy ourselves of the efficacy of the treatment initiated.
There is still a delay of 5 weeks for new cases, unless they are urgent ones. This is
unfortunately unavoidable owing to the fact that there are always some absentees from
our sessions who take away time which could be more profitably used for other patients.
In this connection I should like especially to thank our nurses and health visitors for
their untiring efforts in visiting the parents and explaining the necessity of ophthalmic
treatment for their children.
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