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The inclusion of the pre-school age group, including those
from the nurseries and maternity and child welfare centres
is very important and the results obtained justify and
strongly commend this arrangement. Systematic attention
to the pre-school age groups yields a return in terms
of lower incidence of certain defects at the school entrant
age, which compares favourably with the percentage of
corrections subsequently attained.
The organisation of the scheme of the clinic consists
of a Central Clinic at the Town Hall clinic premises where
one regular session per week is held (with occasional
supplementary sessions when the numbers on the waiting
list require them). This clinic is fully equipped for the
most up-to-date recognised methods in diagnosis and
treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases in children as
far as out-patient treatment can be carried out.
All children found with any affections of the ear, nose
and throat during school inspections, minor ailment
clinics, pre-school clinics, nurseries, etc., are referred here
in the first instance for detailed examination and prescribed
treatment by the visiting surgeon. Supplementary
treatment clinics have been established at the permanent
Health Centres at Watling, West Hendon, Garth Road
and Hartley Avenue. These are also equipped so as to
enable health visiting staff to carry out certain of the
treatments advised. All those cases which require
special forms of treatment are necessarily retained for
this purpose at the Central Clinic, Town Hall. These
treatments require particular apparatus and technique,
drugs, etc., and are carried out by the surgeon and the
sister in charge of the clinic who has special knowledge
and training in this work. This allocation of 'treatments'
to the various local Health Centres greatly
facilitates the regular attendance of the patients and
consequently more efficient results. It saves a considerable
loss of school time, and expense in travelling. At
regular intervals during the course of treatment, the
patients are referred back to the surgeon at the chief