View report page

SCHOOL HEALTH
Children in care
Five children's homes, under the control of the Social Services Department
since 1st April, 1971, accommodate 64 school children and are visited
approximately six times a year by medical officers from the Department. The
medical officers advise generally on diet, health and hygiene and examine the
children on admission and annually. General medical care is undertaken by a
general practitioner.
The Department's medical officers also supervise, in the same way, two
homes situated in the Borough, belonging to the London Borough of Barnet,
and accommodating 21 school children.
Children in foster homes are under the general medical care of general
medical practitioners.
Co-operation with hospitals
The paediatricians at Chase Farm Hospital, Highlands Hospital and North
Middlesex Hospital provide the Department with much valuable information,
which enables medical officers and school dentists to be alerted to the
special needs of particular children.
Reports were also received during the year concerning six school children
who had been admitted to hospital after having variously consumed "bleach",
"detergent", "toadstool", gin, lotion for removal of warts, and sedative
tablets prescribed for a parent. Happily, all recovered.
Prevalence and control of infectious disease
Sonne dysentery
All schools are asked to notify the Department immediately two or more
children in one class show symptoms of digestive upset, with or without
diarrhoea. There were outbreaks in two schools in the Borough involving a
Scabies
total of 24 children. In addition, nine sporadic cases were reported.
German Measles (Rubella)
Forty-seven children were treated for scabies during the year, and clinic
nurses inspected 1,140 school children in classes where cases had occurred.
Rubella is not usually a serious disease but it has been established that rubella,
occurring in a woman during the early months of pregnancy, may cause
congenital defects in the foetus. The advice of the Department of Education
and Science has been followed and, on the occurrence of rubella in school
children, steps are taken to advise mothers of pupils,and also female members
of the staff, in order that, if necessary, they may consult their doctor and
take any other necessary action.
Reporting of infectious disease
Head teachers reported 350 school children as suffering from infectious diseases.
Ionising radiations
In accordance with instructions issued by the Department of Education and
Science, the Secretary of State's approval is required before certain radioactive
sources are used in schools. One comprehensive school has now been
given authority to use open sources and almost all comprehensive schools are
authorised to use closed sources.
95