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Blood Testing for Certain Ethnic Groups
The value of this precautionary measure prior to administration of a general anaesthetic has again been
demonstrated during the year under review. A further 439 tests were done, bringing to light two children (twins)
whose lives would have been seriously at risk, a further 7 for whom an anaesthetic would have been an unjustifiable
risk until after a period of medical treatment and further test, and 19 for whom special care was needed.
/ feel every justification for repeating what / have written before: although this routine imposes a considerable
amount of work when there is no certainty that any findings of value will emerge, / consider it to be of great
value and continue to feel that its pioneering introduction in Haringey represented a notable advance in
Local Authority dental services.
From the start of our testing procedure in March 1969 to the end of the year under review, we have performed a
total of 1,827.
Staffing
As evidenced by the very close similarity of the numbers of sessions worked compared with the previous year,
the staffing situation has remained so stable as not to require any detailed comment, other than to repeat that we
still have too few to meet the demand.
It is sufficient to record that on 31 December, the date used nationwide for counting staff in post, we had the
Chief Dental Officer/Principal School Dental Officer, Orthodontists to a full-time equivalent of 1.6, Dental
Officers 7.6 and Dental Surgery Assistants 12.8.
It should be emphasised that of the total numbers given in this report of the School Dental Service, 7% of their
work is actually for treatment of the Priority Classes reported upon separately elsewhere and is not reflected in
the statistical details given below. If the whole of their time was for children in our schools, the "productivity"
of the service would be even higher."