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these are referred for treatment of various middle ear conditions to the Ear, Nose & Throat Department of
Central Middlesex Hospital.
"Close co-operation exists with Mr. Pease. Consultant Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeon for that Hospital.
"During normal clinical sessions the Consultant, Principal Medical Officer, Teachers of the Deaf and
Audio metricians work as a team and this close team work proved to be, as in previous years, most useful and
important.
"Children continued to be referred for this issue of hearing aids, making ear inserts, and servicing
aids, to the Hearing Aid Distribution Centre at St. Mary's Hospital. Close co-operation existed also with this
Department which continued to give valuable service to hearing impaired children from the Clinic.
"We have been fortunate to have the services of a full complement of Teachers of the Deaf and the
children attending at the Clinic receive a very intensive training, parent guidance and close supervision of
their progress when the children are in a normal school.
"During the year we had a large number of visitors, especially Medical Officers, Health Visitors, etc.
The installation of a one-way observation window makes it possible to demonstrate techniques of testing and
assessment.
"Children who are educated in the Special Classes for Partially Hearing Children attended for full
re-assessment in groups, as a class, and the class teachers were present. Close co-operation between the Clinic
and the teachers from the Classes for Partially Hearing Children was established and the joint assessment
sessions proved to be most useful.
"During a period when there was a shortage of Teachers in the Partially Hearing Classes our
Peripatetic Teachers were able to help out and give valuable advice to teachers who were not fully trained as
Teachers of the Deaf.
"Steps have been taken during the year to elaborate similar co-operation with a newly opened class
for partially hearing children in Harrow.
"The order of a valuable new piece of equipment has been approved. This is a so-called "impedence
meter" which will enable us to measure the pressure in the middle ear and improve our diagnostic facility.
"£300 has been received from the Appeal Organiser by I.T.V. and it was decided to spend the money
on equipment which would help children who are not in Special School (amplifying equipment, etc.).
"An information pamphlet about the Clinic was prepared and it is hoped that this will be published
in 1973. This gives all-round information about the work of the Clinic and is meant for General Practitioners
and other medical personnel concerned with the care of a child with hearing impairment.
"Children were referred as in previous years from a great variety of sources, e.g. Paediatricians,
Medical Officers of various Local Authority Clinics, E.N.T. Specialists of surrounding hospitals. An increasing
number of General Practitioners refer children and the new Department of Paediatrics at Northwick Park
also referred children and we hope to elaborate close co-operation with this new hospital.
"A considerable number of children were referred as a result of school screen audiometry. School
audio metricians' task is a very difficult one. They often have to work in very unsatisfactory conditions and
it is only due to their great enthusiasm and persistence that this work is maintained at a very high standard.
"The records show that school screen audiometry is one of the very important aspects of the school
child's health.
"As in previous years we had the full support of the Education Department for which we are grateful.
Without a close co-operation of the medical and Education Authorities this work would not be possible".
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
Report of the Principal School Dental Officer
The main difficulty affecting this Service is shortage of Dental Officers. At routine school inspections,
it is hoped that the majority of children are receiving dental treatment from one source or another and badly
neglected mouths, particularly in the older age groups, are not common. Nevertheless, although Brent is more
fortunate than many Authorities, much more could be achieved with an improved staffing situation. As
Dentists in general practice are accepting an increasing proportion of private patients, it seems likely that
more and more children will wish and, indeed, may be obliged to turn to the School Service for dental treatment.
As salary scales are nationally negotiated, no additional financial inducements are available to attract
staff and the most the Authority can do, is to provide the best supporting staff and equipment and materials.
This policy continues to operate, as indeed it has, for some considerable time.
Unkept appointments still cause concern, but this is not just a local problem, and all efforts are made
to minimise this wastage.
The population of Brent do not yet enjoy the benefits of fluoridation of the public water supply and
some effort is made to reduce this deficiency by the topical application of fluorides to the teeth in selected cases.
This is of considerable importance as the emphasis today, in dentistry worldwide, is on prevention.
CHILD GUIDANCE SERVICE
Prepared by Dr. C. Graham, b.sc., f.b.ps.s.. Chief Educational Psychologist
Organisation of Service
The Educational Psychologists continue to have specified schools allocated to them and to see in school
those children referred to the School Psychological Service, usually by head teachers. Where a full Child