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immunised against the usual infectious diseases
either at the college or by their family doctor.
Confidential medical records are maintained by
the college medical officer and non-medical
records will be kept by the welfare officer who
will discuss students' problems freely with the
medical officer at special case conferences.
A confidential register is also kept of students
who are handicapped for example by diabetes,
epilepsy and asthma and these are seen periodically
to assess their progress and to give advice
on health and welfare matters. It is estimated that
four per cent of students attending polytechnics
are physically handicapped.
Talks and lectures will be given to students,
staff and parents by members of the health and
welfare team on subjects peculiar to student life.
Group discussions among the team, teaching staff
and students are popular and will be extended
when facilities become available.
It is envisaged that all health and welfare
facilities will be made available also to academic
and non-academic staff at the colleges.
The college medical officer is a member of the
Safety Committee who appoint and train members
of the teaching staff as safety officers who are
able to give first aid to the injured.
The college medical officer gives advice to the
polytechnic authorities on the working environment
and also on safety in workshops and
laboratories including radiological and toxic
hazards which may arise. He advises also on food
hygiene and control of communicable diseases.
The cost to the taxpayer of maintaining a
student at a polytechnic is estimated at more than
£500 per annum. Student waste due mainly to
inadequate academic ability, social, family and
mental health problems, is as high as fifty per
cent in some colleges of further education so that
if the student health service can prevent the loss
of three or four students a year, the cost of the
service is more than justified.
'Mankind is now in one of its rare moods of
shifting its outlook.'
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