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needed in cases of complete breakdown, but they cannot take the
family's place.
Perhaps more could be done through organisations like Parent
Teachers Associations to educate parents and give them counsel
when necessary. Their active participation is needed, of course,
and their importance is universally recognised but there are times
when they sorely need advice and they should know where to find it,
when they need it. The place of the school in the community is
changing, and a changing pattern which is tending to strengthen the
partnership of parent, teacher and school health service, will give the
school a central role which should strengthen family and community
life.
Home Safety
From January to December, 1970, a total of 8,820 home
accident cases were treated at the hospitals of Beckenham, Farnborough,
Orpington and Bromley.
Of these, 5,093 were adults and 3,727 children.
In the previous year, the overall total from these hospitals
was 9,509, and of these 5,484 were adults and 4,025 children.
This shows a reduction of 689 casualties in 1970, as compared
with the previous year. Of these, 391 were adults and 298 children.
This reduction is most encouraging but once again all Home
Safety Committees and other Organisations engaged in Accident
Prevention must realise that continued education of the public
is the foremost remedy.
As was mentioned in previous reports, it is useless educating
the child without educating the mother. It is also useless educating
the elderly without educating those who might have to look after
them.
Once again the three most prominent causes of these accidents,
with serious complications, according to the statistics supplied by
the Hospital Authorities, were given as follows:—
(1) FALLS being the chief danger to old people.
(2) BURNS/SCALDS affect both the young and old people.
(3) POISONING/SUFFOCATION being the danger to
adults, especially in relation to gas, medicinal substances,
through overdoses, mistakes, etc. Also to the very young
persons who find drugs, tablets, medicines, detergents,
etc., loose in cupboards, drawers, and finally to the small
babies without adequate net screens on prams and cots
against domestic pets, and the dangerous use of soft
pillows and plastic bibs, etc.