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THE WORK OF THE MINOR AILMENT CLINICS. There are three minor ailment clinics in the
Borough, their location being as follows5-
Balaam Street School Clinic,
Balaam Street, Plaistow, E.13.
Rosetta School Clinic,
Sophia Road, Custom House, E.l6.
Stratford School Clinic,
84 West Ham Lane, Stratford, E.15„
Open 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Monday to Saturday
ditto.
ditto.
A medical officer is In attendance at Stratford School Clinic and Rosetta School
Clinic on Monday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and at Balaam Street
School Clinic on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. One of the
difficulties to be faced by the assistant medical officer is that In the school he
frequently has neither sufficient time nor suitable accommodation to examine some children
as thoroughly as he would wish. The minor ailment clinic, serving as it does a group of
schools, becomes the centre of school health work in the area. The minor ailment clinics
are used for the examination of many different kinds of cases.
These clinics have always been well-used for the treatment of minor ailments and
although attendances are steadily falling a large number of children still come to them,
referred mainly by head teachers. The cases are seen by the medical officers on their
clinic sessions, and the bulk of the treatment is carried out by the school nurses.
Although many of the conditions seen may be regarded as trivial their prompt treatment
saves a good deal of minor disability and in some cases prevents a simple lesion becoming
a major one. These clinics enable children with all kinds of minor ailments to be treated
at a time and place which reduces to a minimum the loss of school time. The School Health
Service is well placed for dealing with such conditions, as continuity of treatment is
ensured through close association with the schools. Many troublesome conditions are treated
expeditiously and often prevent further impairment of health. The chief conditions treated
fall under three main heaaings:-
Mlnor skin troubles of various kinds. These include the triad of ringworm, scabies
and impetigo, together with a variety of other skin conditions. In the case of ringworm
of the scalp and scabies there has been a spectacular lessening in numbers, but not so in
the case of impetigo. Many children are affected each year with plantar warts. The
incidence is three or four times greater among girls than among boys, and it is at its
maximum between 11 and 14 years,, Similarly many children attend the minor ailment clinics
in the summer with ringworm of the feet. This Is very troublesome and treatment is
prolonged. Stress is laid on preventive measures. The few cases of scabies seen are
referred to the special clinic for treatment.
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