View report page

46
SECTION 6.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
The School Health Service is administered by the Middlesex
County Council. Ealing is an excepted district and the general
day to day administration of the service is delegated to the Ealing
Education Committee, to whom monthly reports are submitted.
Treatment of defects found at routine medical examinations is
provided either by the Area Health Committee or by the National
Health Service according to the wishes of the parents.
The steady improvement in the general standard of health of
the school child has been maintained and rather more places have
been secured at special schools than in previous years.
During the year notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis were
received concerning three teachers and six pupils teaching at or
attending different schools. As a result of these notifications it
was considered necessary to carry out epidemiological investigations
at eight of the schools concerned. A total of approximately 300
children were patch tested ; 20% of these were found to be positive
reactors and they, together with teacher contacts, were X-rayed at
Central Middlesex Hospital. The results were in the main satisfactory
and a few cases are to be the subject of further reports.
No contact has yet been found suffering from active tuberculosis.
There was a minor outbreak of headache and sore throat at
Perivale Infants' School in June and the symptoms were—violent
headache, nausea and sore throat—temperatures rose to 104°. The
illness was sudden in onset and of short duration. Swabs were
taken and the condition of the throats and duration of the illness
did not suggest a streptococcal glandular fever. Some 20 pupils
were affected and the outbreak came to an uneventful end.
MINOR AILMENT CLINICS.
These clinics are held at all centres except Brentside; their
purpose is to enable assistant Medical Officers to make fuller
examinations of any doubtful cases seen at routine medical examinations,
to treat minor conditions and to make freedom from
infection examinations. The Minor Ailment Clinics are used as
referral centres to the various specialist clinics.
Attendances at Minor Ailment Clinics.
1951 1952 1953
5,515 4,972 4,948
ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTIONS.
Routine medical inspections are held at the schools. Children
are examined during their first year at school, during their last year
at primary school and prior to leaving school.