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Report of the Principal School Medical Officer
for the year 1965
Organisation
This is the first report on the School Health Service
provided since 1st April 1965, by the London Borough
of Hounslow, which was created by the London
Government Act 1963.
The arrangements made by the former County
Council of Middlesex whereby the school health
service was closely integrated with the other health
services administered by the Department of Health
has continued. Under this arrangement there has been
joint use of medical, dental, nursing and other staff, as
well as of clinic premises.
The changeover on the 1st April operated smoothly
which was due largely to the very detailed preparatory
work undertaken by the staff of the former County
Council, both at the central and area offices.
Co-operation
It is important that there is an exchange of information
between hospital, general practitioner and school
medical staff.
On the whole, local hospitals send reports to the
school medical officers on children who have been
in-patients ; others tend not to do so automatically
but will send reports on request.
Before any child is referred for specialist or hospital
treatment it is the practice, except in emergencies, to
ask the family doctor whether he is in agreement, or
whether he wishes to treat or refer the child himself.
School Health Service

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Periodic Medical Inspection
Under the provisions of the Education Act it is the
duty of a local education authority to provide, at
appropriate intervals, for the medical inspection of
pupils in attendance at any school provided by them.
The authority may require the parent of any pupil, in
attendance at such school, to submit the pupil for
medical inspection in accordance with the arrangements
made for such inspection. Although the Act
thus places a legal obligation on the parent to submit
the child for examination, no pressure is put on
parents unless there is reason to suspect that the pupil
may need special education or may suffer from a
defect which might interfere with educational
progress. The parent is under no obligation to accept
for the child any medical treatment offered by the
authority and some parents use the facilities provided
under the National Health Service Act.
A minimum of three medical inspections during
school life is recommended but a local education
authority may arrange others. The usual minimum is
as follows—•
Entrants —on admission to school for the first
time
Intermediates—during last year in primary or first
year in secondary school
Leavers —during last year at school
An additional medical inspection at seven to eight
years is carried out in the Borough and efforts are
made to examine pupils in nursery classes, each term.
At the examination of 'intermediates' colour vision is
tested, as colour blindness may have a bearing on the
pupil's secondary education and selection of a career.
Parents are notified of these periodic medical
inspections and invited to attend. The proportion of
parents attending varies from school to school but is
generally highest at the 'entrants' examination. These
examinations should be conducted in school to
facilitate consideration by parent, teacher and medical
officer of any problem concerning the health, education
or social adjustment of the pupil but because of
pressure of accommodation the inspections for some
schools have to be carried out in the nearest clinic.
When a periodic medical inspection is arranged the
head teacher is asked to submit the names of any