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existing sessions. It is hoped to sesume this minor ailment session as soon
as the new wing of the Church Road Clinic has been built.
Advantage was taken of the facilities available in the Roman Manor
Community Centre to provide clinic services for residents in the Beckton
area of the Borough, a minor ailment clinic being provided every Thursday
morning. Attendances were low at first and the clinic was temporarily
suspended during the school summer holidays. On resumption it was
decided to see a limited number of "Toddlers" for routine examination at
this Clinic and thus ensure more economic use of staff until such time
as the attendances of school children increased. This arrangement has
worked well, and mothers appreciate the convenience of being able to
bring their younger children for examination at the same time as those
attending school.
Total attendances at School (minor ailment) Clinics during 1951
were as follows:-
Central (Town Hall Annexe) 5,935
Manor Park (Church Road) 3,555
North Woolwich (Fernhill St. Baths) 331
Roman Manor (Community Centre) 72 (part year only)
Total 9,893
Dental Clinics.
In October we were pleased to welcome Dr. Allan Ross as Senior Dental
Officer, in place of Miss Smith who finally resigned in July, Dr.
Schacter also joined the staff towards the end of the year, but we were
not to remain at full establishment for long, Mrs. Osis left us in
November, without there being any prospect of an early replacement.
Dr. Ross has submitted the following report:
I have the honour to present my report on the work carried out in
the Dental Clinics during the year 1951.
(1) The year was marked by a complete change in the dental staff. For
only a very short period was the dental service staffed with the
authorised complement of three full-time officers; for most of the
year the staff consisted of one full-time dental officer and one parttime
dental officer. Efforts to obtain further full-time help were
unsuccessful.
(2) The fall in the number of routine inspections continued, thus there
were 18,040 in 1994, 9,074 in 1950 and 4,438 in 1951. I feel the whole
question of routine inspections at school is a difficult one. For
instance, the conditions under which inspections are carried out are
seldom ideal and one has to contend with the attitude of parents who,
on learning that only a very short time was spent on the individual
inspection, have been known to take their child to a private practitioner
for a "proper examination".
Again, cases which are not referred for treatment, although
technically requiring it, may give rise to misunderstandings if the
position is not explained. Ideally, I feel the dental inspections
should be carried out in a dental surgery with a parent present and
this would undoubtedly enhance the status of the service in the eyes of
both the public and the private dental practitioners.
(3) The number of temporary teeth filled showed a marked increase. The
majority of these were second molars and it is hoped by concentrating on
these teeth, to reduce overcrowding in the permanent dentition.