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72
COUNTY BOROUGH OF EAST HAM EDUCATION COMMITTEE
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
Mr. Chairman, Ladles and Gentlemen,
The Annual Report of the School Medical Officer has, for each of the
past four years, made reference to the need for a satisfactory integration
of the Specialist Clinics within the School Health Service. Responsibility
for these Clinics formerly lay with the Authority, but passed to the
Regional Hospital Board when the National Health Service Act came into operation
in 1948. As an interim measure the Authority has continued to administer
the Ophthalmic and Aural Clincs, whilst the Board has provided the
services of the specialists. Negotiations were commenced during the year
in an effort to achieve agreement, but were protracted owing to the unwillingness
of the Board to concede the principle that the day to day administration
of these clinics should remain in the hands of the School Medical Officer.
National agreement on the salaries of Dental Officers employed by
Local Authorities gave some encouragement to the Dental Services and towards
the end of the year the appointment of a Senior and also an Assistant Dental
Officer brought the staff up to full strength. This establishment was
short lived since the third Dental Officer resigned, with no prospect in
view of the vacancy being filled,. Satisfaction must be recorded however,
in the far sighted decision of the Authority to employ an Oral Hyglenist,
who will relieve the dentists of much routine work, of scaling and polishing
and who, by the educative side of her work, will help to restore the preventive
bias to the School Dental Service.
The Medical Research Council's trials of B.C.G. (anti-tuberculosis)
vaccine, mentioned in the report of the Medical Officer of Health last year,
have continued during 1951 with the co-operation of the staff of the
Secondary Modern Schools. Should the results prove favourable we may
eventually be able to offer this protection to all school leavers who are
judged not to have acquired sufficient natural immunity.
A further progressive step was made during the year by establishing
liaison with the East Ham Memorial Hospital for the after-care of both
school and pre-school children admitted to the Children's Ward. The
Superintendent Health Visitor attends the Paediatrician's weekly ward
round and is able to supply vital information concerning home background
as well at to initiate action for the after-care of children due to be
discharged. An indirect but important result of this co-operation
between hospital and local authority has been that the Chief Education
Officer now provides some education for those children remaining inpatients
for long periods.
May I conclude by thanking the Chairman and Members of the Education
Committee for their continued help and in particular Councillor Mrs. Fell,
Chairman of the Care and Welfare Sub-Committee for the unremitting interest
she has shown in all aspects of the School Health Service. Thanks are
also due to the Chief Education Officer and to the Head Teachers for their
co-operation, and above all to Dr. Cullington, the Senior Assistant School
Medical Officer and the members of my staff whose work is reflected in this
report.
I have the honour to be, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
J. S. COLEMAN,
School Medical Officer.