View report page

usual opportunity to co-ordinate the Health and Welfare Services
provided, and the assumption of such duties was undertaken
gradually throughout the year. The major difficulties, of course,
have been shortages of professional staff, both medical and
nursing. The first step was the amalgamation of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Dental Services with the School Dental Services.
There are now 4 Dental Clinics working full-time (Stag
Lane (Borough), Stag Lane (County), College Road, the fourth
Dental Officer working at Wembley Hill and One Tree Hill
Clinics). A fifth Dental Officer is about to be appointed whose
Dental Clinks will in the main be at Perrin Road.
There are in Wembley 21 schools, 18 Primary and Secondary
(Modern) schools and 3 Secondary (Grammar) schools. The
pupil population of the Primary and Secondary (Modern) schools
was approximately 10,000 and of the Secondary (Grammar) schools
1,500. Probably the number of routine inspections annually
which should be undertaken at these schools is 6,500. Clinic
Sessions were being held once weekly at Wembley Hill, One Tree
Hill and Stag Lane (County), one Medical Officer attending once
per week. It has now been possible to increase these Clinic
Sessions to six per week, and further Sessions will be opened as
medical personnel will allow. The School Health Visitors keep
themselves aware of the medical condition of the children, including
cleanliness and in many respects act as a medium between
the Medical Officers and the families of the children, this duty
calling for domiciliary visits. The Health Visitors attend the
Clinic Sessions with the Medical Officers and accompany them
at the routine School Inspections. 2 Health Assistants have now
been appointed to deal generally with Cleanliness Inspections and
advice, working under the supervision of the Health Visitors.
The schools in the Borough have been divided into 5 Medical
Officer Areas, but so far it has been necessary for one of the
Medical Officers to be responsible for 2 such School Medical
Officer Areas. This will be adjusted on the pending appointment
of a Deputy Medical Officer of Health. The Special Clinic
Services— Ophthalmic and Orthopaedic— are conducted by Specialist
part-time officers, again with the assistance of the Health Visitors.
With the co-operation of the Borough Education Officer
much of the administrative arrangements for the School Medical
Inspections are being made by the Borough Education Officer.
This prevents a certain amount of duplication in the Public
Health Department of records already in the Education Department.
With the immediate extension of the Medical and Dental
Professional Officers, the recent extension of the Health Visitor
personnel and the return from War service of the Senior Clerical
and Administrative Officers a smoothly working and efficient
School Health Service will soon now be practicable.
7