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117
Report of the Principal School Medical Officer for the Year 1969
Routine Audiometry
The routine audiometry service was continued as in the previous year with the audiometer operator
working on a part-time basis of three days a week. The investigations were continued in the junior and
infant departments of primary schools, and the results of the work performed can be summarised as
follows:
Number of individual children tested 8,421
Number found to have normal hearing 7,963
Number found to have a hearing loss 458
Of the 458 children found to have a hearing loss:
105 were found to have a hearing loss in the right ear,
117 were found to have a hearing loss in the left ear,
236 were found to have a hearing loss in both ears.
The 458 children were referred for examination by the School Doctors with the following results:
109 were found to have normal hearing on clinical testing,
7 were referred for specialist consultation at Hospital Ear, Nose and Throat Departments,
57 were referred to general practitioners,
10 were referred to Audiology Units,
40 were already attending hospital,
10 were already attending Audiology Units,
4 had left the area,
221 were noted for re-examination.
Vision Testing
Vision testing of schoolchildren is carried out at the time of routine medical inspections, and in
addition the Health Visitor/School Nurse tests the vision of children when they reach the age of
seven years. Children between the ages of eight and ten are also tested if for any reason it is felt to
be necessary.
During the year the number of routine vision tests and results were as follows:
Number of children tested 4,579
Number referred for the opinion of school medical officer 241
Of these:
77 were referred to the Authority's ophthalmic clinics,
44 were referred for treatment via general practitioners, at the request of parents,
57 were deferred for re-examination at school health clinics,
17 were considered to have normal vision,
42 were already having ophthalmic treatment,
4 left the area while investigations were proceeding.
Of the 77 children referred to the Authority's ophthalmic clinics:
50 were prescribed glasses,
3 were referred to the Authority's Orthoptic Clinic,
2 were dealt with by occlusion,
10 were noted for re-examination,
7 were discharged,
5 decided to transfer to private opticians.