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
Willesden 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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118
In 1919, 11,650 medical defects and 5,385 dental defects, or a total of 17,035 defects of School
Children came under observation as against 7,231 medical defects and 1,011 dental defects or a total
of 8,242 defects of School Children in 1918.
Work not Done.
From the above figures, it can be seen that the work has mofe than doubled.
There has been no increase in staff to meet this increase in work beyond the appointment of
2 Dental Visiting Nurses to deal with the dental work.
The Health Visitors have not sufficient time for regular periodical cleanliness Inspections at
the Schools which requires to be undertaken.
The following Tables show how the work of cleanliness inspection has been carried out this
year.
| 4 weeks ended. | No. of Districts in which no School Cleanliness Inspections were undertaken. | No. of Districts in which systematic Inspections were undertaken. | No. of Sessions. | No. of Districts in which Inspection of children specially referred by H.T. to Health Visitor at School was undertaken. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/1/20 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 21/2/20 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 3 |
| 20/3/20 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 2 |
In 5 districts no systematic cleanliness inspections have yet been undertaken this year.
| Systematic Cleanliness Inspections. | Inspection of Children by Special request of H.T. when H.V. at the School. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Sessions | 46 | ||
| Original Inspections | Children examined | 2,902 | 69 |
| Children excluded | 67 | 14 | |
| Re-inspections | Children examined | 386 | 184 |
| Children excluded | 0 | 17 | |
Actually a Health Visitor should be able to call in at her Schools daily.
Cases of Verminous Heads have been coming to knowledge which should have been discovered
long before and it is unsatisfactory that the Health Visitor should be unable to keep proper supervision
over the cleanliness of the Scholars in her schools.
There is much more teaching and educational work to be done but the Health Visitors have
only time generally to go round as quickly as possible and deal with bare essentials—even then longer
intervals elapse between revisitation than should.
Considerably more work could be done among Expectant Mothers.
It should be borne in mind that it is possible for a Health Visitor to go round and do 30,40
or 50 visits a day, but such work is of no value whatever. She becomes merely "a door knocker,"
excludes and re-admits children to school, records certain facts but makes no headway in the cause
of health.
The value of a Health Visitor depends on how far she secures the goodwill and confidence
of her people so that they are ready to carry out her advice and teaching and all this takes time.