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It was finally decided that the hygienist could most profitably
spend her time, apart from the limited number of grossly dirty
mouths, in giving both individual and group tuition in dental hygiene.
In this she has been outstandingly successful. She has
shown great enthusiasm for her work and reports from headmasters,
headmistresses and health visitors confirm the success
of her lectures and individual tuition.
Miss Watts could have saved a great deal of dental officers'
time if she had been permitted to apply topical silver nitrate applications
to already stoned interstitial cavities in temporary teeth,
but this is apparently not allowed.
(Note by S.M.O.—Further comments are given under Health
Education on page 50).
A summary of the work done at the clinic during the year is
shown in the statistical tables at the end of the Report.
(e) Specialist Clinics.—With effect from the 1st April, 1952
the Local Education Authority decided to transfer the responsibility
lor the specialist clinics to the Regional Hospital Board. The
clinics concerned were the Cardiac, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmic,
Orthopaedic, and Paediatric Clinics. In addition the
responsibility for the medical staffing of the Child Guidance Clinic
was transferred to the Regional Hospital Board. This decision
was received with regret by the Committee, which urged the Local
Education Authority to continue the administration of the specialist
clinics as part of the School Health Service. The Committee also
considered that prior consultation with the Borough Council as the
Divisional Executive for an Excepted District, should have been
undertaken.
During 1953 the Regional Hospital Board has apparently
decided to transfer or even to absorb some or all of these specialist
clinics into the Group Hospital. This appears to be most inadvisable
since most of the children attending these clinics are not really
invalids but are suffering from some variation from the normal
and it would not appear advisable for them to mix with the acute
and chronic sick—largely adult—in a crowded out-patients department.
The existing facilities are claimed to be adequate and there
would be difficulty in knowing the findings of Lhe specialist at the
hospital.
The Committee has decided lo make strong representations on
the matter to the Local Education Authority.
If the clinics are to be taken away from the School Health
Service, then at least there should be separate sessions for children
at hospitals and they should not be "absorbed" into the existing
Hospital Service.