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2.—CO-ORDINATION.
The administrative work of the School Medical Service is carried out in the Health
Department under the supervision of the School Medical Officer who is also Medical Officer of
Health with charge of the Council's scheme for Maternity and Child Welfare.
The medical and nursing staff are engaged in school medical work as well as the other
health services. This applies also to the clerical staff, so that co-ordination of all the services
is complete.
There are now 12 half-day Maternity and Child Welfare Sessions each week from which
the Medical Officers are able to refer children under the age of 5 years for treatment at the
Minor Ailments Clinics, Dental Clinics and Ophthalmic Clinics of the Education Authority.
Regular use of these facilities has been made throughout the year. X-Ray treatment of Ringworm
can also be arranged.
The service of the health of pre-school children is, at present, entirely on a voluntary
basis, and personally, I see no hope for dealing adequately with the two to five years group
which provides us with many untreated defects, except through Nursery Schools, where with
compulsory attendance goes compulsory medical inspection. It is true however, that these
children are followed up by the Health Visitors as far as time will allow. Special attention
is paid to those who are likely to become Table III cases and when they attain school age they
are called to the School Clinics and are kept under observation there.
3.—THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
School Hygiene.
The School buildings and sanitary arrangements are periodically inspected, and a complete
survey of the schools is made from time to time. Every school in the district is visited at least
twice a year by a Medical Officer.
During the year under review, however, there were no special efforts made for critical
reporting on the matters under the headings detailed in the memorandum Form 6M (Schedule)
from the Board of Education, issued as a guidance for the Reports of School Medical Officers on
the year's work.
It must be borne in mind that the majority of the schools in the district are entirely new,
up-to-date buildings erected as a result of the enormous recent growth of the district.
4.—MEDICAL INSPECTION.
The age groups selected for inspection are those laid down by the Board of Education,
viz:—
1. All new entrants (5 year old children).
2. Second Age Group (8 year old children).
3. Third Age Group (12 year old children).
4. Other Routine Inspections.
Every school in the Borough has been visited twice by a Medical Officer during the year—
once for a routine medical inspection, and subsequently for the re-examination of children who
had been found to need treatment or observation.
The total number of routine medical inspections carried out during the year was 3,856.
It has been necessary to engage extra medical assistance regularly throughout the year, and
the pressure in all other sections of School Medical Work, particularly in the School Clinics, has
continued unabated.
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