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There were 207 audiometric hearing tests carried out at Southgate Technical
College, and two students were found to have a hearing loss. Eight students from
Enfield Technical College requested a hearing test and of these six had a hearing
loss.
Now that effective head-worn hearing aids are being issued under the National
Health Service, fewer commercial aids are being prescribed. During the year
twelve children received fourteen of these new aids, ten through Tottenham
Audiology Unit and four from Chase Farm Hospital. Only one commercial aid
was supplied, compared with fifteen in 1968.
Foot Inspections
School nurses make regular foot inspections to discover the presence of plantar
warts and other contagious skin conditions of the foot. Plantar warts can be
contracted wherever children walk barefooted, particularly in damp places. During
the year, 75.190 foot inspections were carried out and 1.267 new cases of plantar
warts were found.
(See Statistical Tables 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47)
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 make head inspections of children,
mainly to discover verminous head conditions. Certain families are kept under
constant observation because of repeated infestation.
Of the 74,171 children examined for infestation, 167 were found to be in a
verminous condition and 31 required formal action in order to secure cleanliness.
(See Statistical Table 48)
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 or any other educational establishment
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.
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