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In addition other cases were admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital fo3? a special
examination, some under a general anaesthetic.
The work of the orthoptic department has been carried out by Mrs.Goodman, and
the following statistics relate to this department
New patients seen:-
School children 19^
Pre-school children 55
Total attendances
School children 2,142
Pre-school children 521
Mr. Lauder continued with his duties as full time optician until November, 1957, when
unfortunately he died. Mr.Lauder had been optician at the ophthalmic clinic since March,
1952, and his loss will be felt deeply by all his colleagues.
For the remainder of the year all prescriptions were taken to outside opticians.
HEARING OP SCHOOL CHILDREN
Miss Smart, Audiometrician, continued her audiometric surveys in West Ham schools,
but this year she used the pure tone audiometer only. This apparatus has been found to be
more correct and reliable than the gramophone audiometer which was used previously. The
margin of error was considerably reduced as was shown by retesting all children in whom a
hearing loss was found at the first test. Miss Smart, who is employed jointly by the
County Borough of West Ham and the Regional Hospital Board, continued to give six sessions
a week to the former authority and five sessions a week to the latter. The work for the
local authority comprises audiometric surveys of school children both in ordinary and in
special schools, work in the Audiology Unit and the taking of impressions of ear moulds
for hearing aids.
During the year the following work was carried out with children in the 6* to 10+
age range:*-
Number of children tested 3,255
Number of children retested 295
Number referred to school medical
officers for further investigations 266
Analysis of 262 found to have a hearing loss by audiometric investigation and
referred for further investigation to school medical officers:-
100