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22nd June, 1922, which requires that Medical Inspection of pupils in these schools shall take place
place as follows:—
(1) All entrants, except any child who has been medically examined at an elementary
school within the past two years, and in whose case the record of such examination
is available for the inspecting officer.
(2) Pupils aged 12 years.
(3) Pupils aged 15 years.
(4) Specials (any age).
Parents have been notified in the usual way of any defects found which required medical
treatment, and appropriate advice given as called for to teachers or pupils in regard to matters of
school or personal hygiene. The details as to these inspections will be found in the body of the report.
DENTAL WORK.
The Seventh Annual Report on the dental work of the Council will be found in the body of
the Report. During the year 20,231 school children were dentally inspected, as compared with
15,750 in the previous year. 14,192 were found to need treatment, as compared with 10,896 in
the previous year. It is unsatisfactory to record, however, that only 2,148 attendances were made
by children for treatment, as compared with 3,599 in the previous year, at the Council's clinics.
10,416 cases requiring treatment were followed up by the Health Visitors during the year.
As a result 1,171 cases obtained treatment—906 at the Council's clinics and 265 otherwise—or 11 per
cent, in 1924 as compared with 21 per cent, in 1923.
The increased number of inspections with a diminished amount of conservative treatment
for the preservation of the teeth is a matter which requires the serious consideration of the Education
Committee and Council in the interests of the health of the children and the public health generally.
HOME NURSING SERVICE.
The Home Nurse employed by the Council nursed 274 cases and paid 2,982 visits during the
year. The bulk of her work was in the Kilburn Wards. Under the Council's Scheme no provision
is made for the nursing of cases during the Nurse's off-duty time or at week-ends.
In Willesden there are approximately some 8 nurses at work in connection with churches
and associations and in addition the Home Nurse employed by the Council.
It would not be over-estimating the case to say that apart from maternity nursing some
30-40 nurses are needed for Willesden as a minimum. During 1924 234 cases of Pneumonia and 163
cases of Whooping Cough were notified. There were 144 deaths from Pneumonia, 13 from Whooping
Cough and 41 from Measles and there were also 163 deaths from Bronchitis.
It is safe to assume that many of these deaths would have been prevented if a good nursing
service were available.
Difficulty also is experienced by Willesden residents in obtaining nursing care for chronic
cases. Application is frequently made to the Health Department for assistance. Since the Council's
home nursing staff was reduced it. has been impossible to deal with any of them. They are a source
of great concern to their relatives who are unable to deal with them properly and indeed are sometimes
a source of possible danger to such relatives.
It is often the case that recovery from an illness depends as much on skilful nursing as on
competent medical advice. Moreover the comfort given to anxious relatives by the visits of a trained
nurse to care for and tend the patient and make the patient comfortable during illness cannot
properly be estimated.
SANITARY WORK.
The work of the Sanitary Inspectors comprises the periodical inspection under Statute of
house property, common lodging houses, canal boats, tents, vans, sheds and other movable dwellings,
bakehouses, slaughter-houses, cowsheds, dairies and milk shops and premises where food is sold or
stored. It also comprises inspections made as the result of complaints received. Altogether during
1924 17,509 inspections and re-inspections were made and 3,634 notices were served as a result thereof.
The staff of Sanitary Inspectors at the present time numbers 8 as compared with 9 prior to the War.
It would have been impossible for the present staff to have given adequate attention to the district
even if the War had not supervened, but as a result of the War, and the consequent inattention to
sanitary repairs and the overcrowding of houses, the insanitary condition of house property has
greatly increased, with the result that the present staff cannot cope with the demands for their services.
I am of opinion that the existing staff should be increased and my report on this subject appears
as an Appendix to this Report.
The necessity for a better definition of the powers of the Council in relation to repairs to house
property is dealt with in a Special Report on Insanitary Dwelling-houses which appears as an
Appendix. The desirability of extending the definition of the term "nuisance" to include the common
defects of house property was pressed upon the Ministry of Health during the year 1924, but the
Ministry were of the opinion that Section 28 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act of 1919 gave
the Council the necessary powers and advised them to give this Section a trial. Acting on this advice
the Council are using this Section to as great an extent as possible and they hope to be in a position
to report on its working in due course.