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(a) Co-ordination with Infant and Child Welfare Work.
This was rendered possible early in the year by the resignation
of Miss Walker, School Nurse, on her marriage. Miss
Holman, the remaining School Nurse, was placed in charge of
the Treatment Clinic and of two Schools for Inspection work.
The other schools were divided as far as possible according to
districts between the three Health Visitors. In this way it is
hoped that the medical histories of children who have attended
the Welfare Centres or who have been under supervision in
their homes by the Health Visitors before entering schools will
be more satisfactorily linked up with the school medical records.
The Assistant School Medical Officer is also Assistant
Maternity and Child Welfare Officer, and treatment of special
cases under 5 years of age is now conducted on similar lines to
that among school children. Such treatment refers specially to
dental work, tonsil and adenoid operations, and refraction
work. In the same way, debilitated children under 5 years are
kept under observation and are exempted on attaining schoolage
if necessary. The children in the Day Nursery are regularly
inspected by the Assistant Medical Officer.
(b) Co-operation with Teachers.
New schemes of keeping scholars' medical records and of
card-indexing were introduced at the beginning of the year.
My object in altering the old system was to increase the
efficiency of medical supervision and to decrease the amount of
clerical work carried out by the teachers and by the medical
staff.
Briefly, the medical record cards are now kept in cardboard
boxes in "classes," and the cards are transferred with
the scholars. In this way it is a simple matter for the class
teacher or the medical staff to see whether a child is due for
routine examination, whether any defect has been noted, or
whether the child is under treatment or observation.
A printed slip, giving general instructions, interpretation
of symbols, and infectious diseases regulations, is kept in each
box for use by the teacher. Progress notes are also entered on
the scholars' medical record cards from time to time by the
School Nurses.
The hours for holding the Treatment Clinic, the method
of checking the scholars' attendances at the Clinic, and the
granting of exclusion certificates, were arranged after consultation
with the Head Teachers.
These schemes are now working smoothly and increased
efficiency will undoubtedly result.
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