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3.
Special attention was also given to the detection, prevention and
treatment of uncleanliness and verminous conditions. The School Nurse
concerned attended these surveys with a Medical Offioer, and every child
was examined for signs of these conditions. Those discovered to be in
a verminous condition were followed-up by the School Nurse both in the
School and in their homes. Where, owing to adverse home circumstances,
cleansing facilities were not available, the children were treated at
the Clinics.
A table showing the number of children found to be unclean, and
the action taken, is given later in the report.
Special Wartime duties of School Nurses.
In the summer of 1940, there was a large influx into Tottenham of
French and Belgian refugees. The Jewish Hospital in the High Road,
Tottenham, was utilised as the main cleansing station for the whole of
Middlesex, and as many of the refugees were badly infested, this entailed
a considerable amount of work. The services of all available nursing
staff were enlisted and the School Nurses, working on a rota, rendered
useful service.
School Nurses have also helped in the Central Information Bureau
for Homeless Persons, and have regularly visited school children whose
families have had to be rehoused as a result of enemy action.
Any additions to or curtailment of the arrangements for the various
forms of treatment or the provision of solid meals or milk.
(a) Dental Treatment - As a result of the re-opening of schools
in the Spring of 1940, and of the return to the system of compulsory
school attendance, dental clinic attendance showed a marked improvement.
With the commencement of intensive aerial attack in September, 1940,
however, accompanied by numerous daylight "alerts", there was a further
falling-off in attendances, as ohildren were uAable to keep their Clinic
appointments. There was an improvement, again, towards the end of the
year when a diminution in the number of daylight raids occurred# The
provision of adequate air raid shelter no doubt contributed to the return
to something approaching normal conditions.
A table is given later in this report In regard to Dental Inspection
and Treatment.
(b) The Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic - This service was well maintained
during the year and there was an extension of the facilities for
the conservative treatment of Ear, Nose & Throat conditions on the lines
set out in my reports for 1938 and 1939. Owing to evacuation, the number
of sessions was reduced from two to one,but attendance at this Clinic
was very good.
In the beginning of January, 1940, the Clinic was removed from the
Lordship Lane Medical Centre to the Park Lane Medical Centre, where more
adequate accommodation had been provided. Attendances increased steadily
and it was found necessary to resume the Ear, Nose & Throat Treatment
Clinics which are carried out by specially trained Sohool Nurses under
the supervision of the Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist.
During the year, the new Peters Suction method for diseased tonsils
was adopted, A sufficient number of cases have now been treated, to make
it clear that in this method lies a valuable therapeutic measure for the
cure of these conditional During the year, 70 children, who in previous
years would have been referred for tonsillectomy, were successfully treated
by suction. It is found that parents readily co-operate In this treatment,
and this may be attributed to the fact that the beneficial effects
become apparent at an early stage in the treatment. The number of cases
of enlarged or diseased tonsils referred for operation has been reduced
to an absolute minimum.
Contd.