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INSPECTIONS FOR CLEANLINESS
Under Section 54 of the Education Act, 1944, a local education authority may
authorise a medical officer to cause examinations of the persons and clothing of
pupils at schools to be made whenever in his opinion such examinations are
necessary in the interests of cleanliness, and to take appropriate action to secure
the cleansing of the person and clothing of pupils. School nurses, or other authorised
persons, make head inspections of children, mainly to discover verminous head
conditions. There are certain families which are kept under constant observation
because of repeated infestations. Of the large number of children examined for
infestation, few were found to be in a verminous condition and very few indeed
required formal action in order to secure cleanliness. School nurses also make
regular foot inspections to discover the presence of verrucae and other contagious
skin conditions of the feet.
(Statistical Table 52—see page 140).
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Under Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, it is the duty of every local
education authority to make such arrangements for securing the provision of free
medical treatment for pupils for whom primary, secondary or further education is
provided by them at any school or county college maintained by them as are necessary
for securing that comprehensive facilities for free medical treatment are
available to them either under the Education Act, 1944, or otherwise.
The authority also has power to make similar arrangements with respect to
senior pupils for whom secondary or further education is provided by them at any
other educational establishment maintained by them. Medical treatment does not,
in relation to any pupil other than a pupil receiving primary or secondary education
otherwise than at school under arrangements made by the local education authority,
include treatment in that pupil's home.
Minor Ailments Clinics
Defects found at routine or special medical inspections, which only require
minor treatment or observations, are referred to the minor ailments clinics. Children
with minor ailments and slight injuries are also referred by parents and teachers
for treatment or observation, and advice is given for a wide variety of conditions.
The total attendances for the year were 16,216.
Ear, Nose and Throat Clinics
There are three clinics in the Borough which are attended by ear, nose and
throat consultants, two of whom have local hospital appointments, a convenient
and beneficial arrangement for those cases requiring operative treatment. Weekly
sessions are held at Southbury Clinic and Broomfield Park Clinic and two sessions
a month at Edmonton Central Clinic. The majority of cases referred are children
with hearing deficiency or requiring advice or treatment regarding tonsils and
adenoids. Other conditions referred include otitis media, rhinitis, chronic catarrh,
etc. Total attendances for the year were 1,089 school children, of which 296 were
new cases.
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