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Children with handicaps are seen more frequently by medical officers, and as the
visits to the Special Schools are nearly every week each child becomes well known.
Unfortunately, as a result of sick leave, only two of the special schools received regular
visits in 1970.
The opening of the Grosvenor House School has filled a very great gap in the provision
for handicapped children in the Borough. Not only has it provided better premises and
facilities for the children who were previously in the Junior Training Centre, but also Special
Care Units for the even more handicapped children. Some of these will always lie in bed with
full care carried out by others. Others will make slow progress and perhaps learn to walk and
feed themselves; some might attain more, but none can gain higher skills than they are capable
of attaining, and no-one can attain more than their highest in every group. Our aim is to give
what skill we have to help them to attain it.
Dr.G.Richards, Senior Medical Officer for Child Care
Audiology Clinic
The illness during the year and finally the death of Dr.Harrison, apart from the sense
of personal loss to all of us, was a severe blow to the Audiology Service which she had
pioneered and developed. It has now ceased altogether until her successor is able to start it
again.
School Dental
Service
Mr.G.P.L.Taylor, the Principal Dental Officer, writes:-
There is little significant change in the general pattern of dental treatment carried
out by the department, to that of 1969. However, again, I am glad to report that there was an
increase in the number of fillings in permanent teeth and a fall in the number of permanent
teeth extracted. In this connection it may be remembered that a fair proportion of permanent
teeth are extracted for orthodontic reasons and not because they are decayed beyond repair.
There is one figure that does show a marked increase, and that is in the number of
courses of treatment completed. This is a step in the right direction.
I regret to say that less dental inspections at school were carried out in 1970. This
is due to the constantly changing staff position. While we recruited one full time officer in
August, we shall lose another early in the new year. So, we shall still only have one full
time dental officer in addition to myself. An endeavour will be made to increase inspections
in 1971.
There was little change in the number of children under school age treated, but a
slight increase in treatments of expectant and nursing mothers.
The dental laboratory has been fully occupied, with a slight increase in dentures for
the general dental service, and a substantial increase in the ear moulds for the deaf children
at Hawkswood School. I understand that this system by our technician provides a quicker
and much less expensive service than the former method of waiting for treatment at and travelling
to the Nuffield Centre at the National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in Grays Inn Road.
FIELD WORK SERVICES
Environmental
Services
Delegated Powers. In 1969 the Council decided to delegate certain of their powers
to the Chief Public Health Inspector. This delegation came into full operation during 1970
and included such items as the service of statutory notices under the provisions of the Public
Health Acts in respect of the abatement of nuisances, the remedy of defective drainage and
defective sanitary appliances, and for information as to the ownership and occupation of
premises. - 19 -