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To the Chairman and Members of the Education Committee :
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my Annual Report on the School Health Service for the
year 1946. The report is compiled in respect of the health and well-being of
the school children of Edmonton in accordance with the wishes of the Ministry
of Education conveyed to me through the medium of the Middlesex County
Council.
The Education Act, 1944, has now become operative and brought with
it great changes to provide full medical attention for all children of school age.
The changes are detailed in the Handicapped Pupils and School Health Service
Regulations, 1945, and require Education Authorities to provide, free of cost
to the parents, not only medical treatment, but also education suitable to the
needs of every handicapped child.
The treatment of tonsils, adenoids and other allied otological conditions
has again presented some difficulty throughout this year, notwithstanding that
every effort has been made to gain admittance to the local hospitals. The fact
that a satisfactory arrangement with the voluntary hospitals has not yet been
achieved by the County Council is causing some little difficulty. Those children
who have been treated have made progress and their condition has been satisfactory
but it is not right to keep children waiting who need this operation.
Child Guidance is now beginning to have its effect. We have, however,
been handicapped by the difficulty in getting suitable staff and the limitations
of our accommodation as well as the lapse of time involved in acquiring equipment.
Nothwithstanding this, some outstanding cases have been dealt with to
their immediate advantage. Both parents and teachers are now becoming more
interested and automatically look to the Child Guidance Clinic for help and
assistance.
The medical services continue to give all-round good results and the large
numbers attending give some indication of the appreciation of parents for the
services rendered. The Asthma Clinic is now reaching a stage of development
that will probably mean singling it out as a separate clinic in itself. The help
and assistance of the Inoculation Department of St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington,
in diagnosing and "typing," is very much appreciated. Whilst we cannot
get 100% results, it can be said that the condition of children is very much
improved and in some cases entirely relieved of the distressing features of the
disease.
The basis of success in the School Health Service is the unfailing team
work carried out by all branches of the Dapartment, having as its ultimate
goal the improvement of the health of the children. So long as the staff as a
whole co-operate in this manner, there can be no doubt as to its ultimate success.
I would like to express my thanks to the members of the Education Committee
for the help and ready assistance which they have given at all times
to the School Health Service. I would like also to tender my most grateful
thanks to the members of my staff and to those officers of the County Council
with whom I am in contact for their unfailing courtesy and co-operation throughout
the year.
I have the honour to remain, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
D. REGAN,
School Medical Officer.
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