London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
This page requires JavaScript
64
SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE.
The rapid increase in the number of school children in the
Borough has resulted in a corresponding growth in the demands
upon the school medical service. To cope with some of the
additional work it was necessary to engage the part-time School
Dentist for an additional session in each week throughout the year
and to appoint a seventh school nurse, who commenced their
duties at the beginning of the year under review.
In the last five years there have been provided no less than
eleven new school departments, with accommodation for nearly
five thousand more scholars. In addition, the new Ravenor
School with accommodation for another 400 children was brought
into use in January, 1935.
The following information regarding school accommodation and attendance, together with the number of children medically examined, provides a striking illustration of the growth in the work.
| Population (Mid-year estimate) | 1934 | 1933 | 1932 | 1931 |
| 133,446 | 128,800 | 122,700 | 117,900 | |
| No. of school departments Accommodation | 43 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| 14,906 | 14,056 | 13,656 | 13,296 | |
| Average number on School Rolls during year | 14,077 | 13,253 | 12,479 | 11,769 |
| Percentage of School children to population | 10.5 | 10.3 | 10.2 | 10.0 |
| Average attendance during year | 12,489 | 11,742 | 11,019 | 10,416 |
| Percentage attendance | 88.7 | 88.6 | 88.3 | 88.5 |
| No. of children examined at routine inspection | 5,900 | 5,213 | 4,956 | 4,935 |
| Percentage of school children examined at routine inspection | 41.9 | 39.3 | 39.7 | 41.9 |
| Total number of children who were examined at least once during year | 9,780 | 8,273 | 7,654 | 7,527 |
| Percentage of children who were examined at least once during year | 69.5 | 62.4 | 61.3 | 64.0 |