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74
clinic at the Ravenor Park Health Centre. In my last report I
suggested that a considerable waste of time, resulting from people
in the outlying parts of the borough being unable to keep appointments
at the Mattock Lane Centre, would be avoided by the opening
of a refraction clinic at Greenford, and the first nine months of
operation of the new arrangements seem to have amply justified
that opinion. During that time some 350 children (over one-third
of the year's total) were seen at the Ravenor Park Centre. There
has been a slight, but definite, improvement in the keeping of
appointments at the Mattock Lane Centre, so that, on the whole,
the waste of time owing to missed appointments has been considerably
reduced.
"It must, however, be borne in mind that there is still room
for expansion in the general work of the Oculist's department.
Almost all children are now re-inspected annually but not all
those who require six-monthly re-inspections can be dealt with
to time and it is still necessary for all but the most urgent cases
to wait for three or four weeks before an appointment can be made.
The population of the borough is steadily increasing and, therefore,
it seems certain that for several years to come, the annual number
of children requiring treatment for defective vision will continue
to increase, though not, perhaps at the present rapid rate. This,
together with other developments referred to below, renders it
increasingly desirable that the present system of having the treatment
of defective vision carried out by an Assistant Medical Officer
should be replaced by a scheme by which an ophthalmic surgeon
will carry out this part of the work, leaving the regular staff free
for their increasing duties in other spheres.
"The treatment of myopic children has proceeded along the
lines followed in previous years, with no significant change.
Teachers have continued to take the utmost pains to co-operate
in the special arrangements made for these children, with the result
that all of them are progressing satisfactorily.
"The Committee which has been investigating the methods
of dealing with myopic children made its report late in 1934.
It had produced nothing new; indeed its recommendations almost
coincided with the provisional scheme formulated in Ealing in
1932 for the setting up of special classes. It is, therefore, desirable
that such classes should be commenced as soon as possible and
preliminary enquiries and arrangements are now being made.