London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Haringey 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Haringey]
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Children from the Hornsey district of the borough are referred to a special session at the Whittington Hospital
which deals mainly with minor orthopaedic defects. During the year 22 new cases under 5 and 34 over 5
were referred from the Council's pre school and school clinics.
For most of the year two physiotherapy sessions were held weekly at the Weston Park Clinic, Hornsey, to which children were referred by Assistant Medical Officers, who assumed responsibility for these cases. The attendance figures were as follows:—
| Under 5 years | Over 5 years | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Cases | 4 | 20 | 24 |
| Attendances | 8 | 69 | 77 |
Towards the end of the year attendances at this clinic decreased. At the same time, a number of cases occurred
in the Wood Green part of the Borough of children with minor orthopaedic defects, and it was decided to hold
two weekly physiotherapy sessions at the Stuart Crescent Health Centre instead of the Weston Park Clinic.
Ophthalmic Clinics
In the early part of 1972, 7 weekly ophthalmic clinic sessions were held — 3 at Lordship Lane Clinic, 2 at
Weston Park Clinic, and 2 at Stuart Crescent Health Centre, Wood Green. The size of the waiting list at Weston
Park led us to ask the Regional Hospital Board to authorise 3 weekly sessions but unfortunately late in the year
the ophthalmic consultant reduced his weekly sessions at Weston Park to one and early in 1973 reduced his
weekly sessions at Stuart Crescent to one. The Regional Hospital Board has been unable, so far, to appoint a
consultant to take his place and, therefore, in Hornsey and Wood Green, ophthalmic consultant time has been
reduced and the waiting lists continue to increase. The situation has now been slightly alleviated in that the
consultant has found it possible to resume attendances at the second weekly session at Stuart Crescent.
Dr. T.G. Kletz, consultant ophthalmologist to the Lordship Lane Clinic, reports as follows on the year's
work:—
"The work of this clinic is mainly refraction and orthoptic investigation and treatment of muscle imbalance and
squints. The cases are referred from the school medical services and the local infant and child medical clinics.
Details of attendances at the Ophthalmic Clinics during 1972 are as follows: —
| Lordship Lane | Weston Park | Stuart Crescent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | Over 5 | Totals | Under 5 | Over 5 | Totals | Under 5 | Over 5 | Totals |
| New Cases 96 | 939 | 1,035 | 81 | 835 | 916 | 26 | 464 | 490 |
| Attendances 174 | 1,749 | 1,923 | 131 | 1,181 | 1,312 | 101 | 1,086 | 1,187 |
Medical Services at the Vale School for Physically Handicapped Children
The medical team at the Vale School is under the direction of a visiting consultant and a school medical
officer. During 1972 and 1973 the school was well staffed, acquiring a full complement of therapists and nursing
staff, consisting of a full-time school nurse, a full-time physiotherapist, a part-time physiotherapist, a full-time
occupational therapist, and a part-time speech therapist. There was a gap of 6 months when an occupational
therapist left but a replacement has been appointed recently and the number of speech therapy sessions at the
school have also recently been increased. Unfortunately, due to family commitments and illness the part-time
physiotherapist has had to reduce her sessions and the full-time physiotherapist will be resigning in July, 1973
to return to her native Norway. The school will therefore be in difficulties in September 1973 unless a new
appointment can be made meantime.
The Principal Medical Officer for Mental Health visits the school once a week for staff discussions.
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