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20
THE HANDICAPPED CHILD
I referred in my report last year to the efforts which were being made to
keep under special observation those children who might be at a greater than
normal risk of abnormality physically or mentally due to the circumstances
before, during, or after their birth. These efforts have continued and have
been considerably helped by this Department receiving a detailed report of all
hospital confinements, in addition to domiciliary ones. These reports were
the outcome of helpful discussions which were held with the Maternity Liaison
Committee.
The Health Department has the primary responsibility for children of preschool
age although, of course, the clinical responsibility lies with the general
practitioner and hospital specialist. Many children with physical handicaps
need special educational facilities and the Inner London Education Authority
provides an admirable service for these children. The Youth Employment Service
later sees that the children are placed in suitable work and reviews their
progress. The Welfare Department also assumes responsibilities when the
children become adults.
The Minister of Health, while aware of the co-ordination that takes place
felt that there was scope for improvement and accordingly I set up a working
party to review our own arrangements. Representatives from the Inner London
Education Authority, local hospitals and Youth Employment Service as well as
the Children's and Welfare Department attended and a very useful discussion
took place.
One of the main tasks is to see that all organisations who are able to
provide a service for a handicapped child are notified as soon as possible so
that most beneficial service can be chosen. To achieve this it was decided
that the Medical Officer of Health should maintain a central register of handicapped
children.
Towards the end of the year a series of meetings of a further working party
met at County Hall to discuss the desirability and the ways and means of
achieving some degree of standardisation of records throughout Inner London and
review the procedures for dealing with children whose names were on the registers.
This working party was continuing its study at the end of 1966.
CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES AT BIRTH