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2. to provide a better service by enabling the mother to have the
child seen for developmental progress and immunisation at the same
time instead of having to attend on two separate days.
3. to secure a more economical deployment of staff.
The pilot scheme commenced in July 1972 and involved the conversion of
the child health clinics held at Shoreditch Health Centre and Goodwill Centre
into combined clinics. The scheme was due to be reviewed in January 1973
and early indications are that the number of children immunised has remained
static but the number' of children medically examined had increased considerably,
thus achieving the main object of the scheme. If the combined
clinics are Judged to be successful, which appears likely, it is intended
to progressively extend these arrangements to all other centres.
Clinic Procedures
With the number and complexity of procedures at centres constantly increasing
it was felt that it would be useful to issue a folder containing
all relevant instructions in force and samples of forms in use for the
guidance of medical officers and nursing officers new to the department.
The folder had been compiled and was ready for issue to centres at the end
of the year. Arrangements have also been made for the periodic revision of
the folder.
Developmental Assessments
It is, of course, of some concern that many children default when invited
to attend for developmental examinations. In these cases possibility
was considered of asking the child's general medical practitioner to carry
out the examination, or if he did not wish to do this, to allow a Health
Department medical officer to visit the child's home. Owing to the numbers
involved it was not possible to arrange this for all defaulters and it was,
therefore, decided to restrict this scheme to handicapped children only.
At the end of the year it was contemplated to supplement the school
medical record of school entrants by transferring the pre-school medical
record from the child health centre to the school, where this contained
relevant medical information.
Stycar vision test and mounted balls vision test material was being
obtained for all centres at the end of the year. Ibis would add to the
developmental assessment kits already held.
Special Advitory Clinic
This clinic for pre-school children continued to be held weekly at 210
Kingsland Road under a specialist medical officer from the Inner London
Education Authority who alternates with one of the Borough's Principal
Medical Officers.
Medical Officers at child health clinics, in addition to referring
children with severe handicapping conditions, are detecting those with less
obvious handicaps, particularly developmental retardation, and there is a
resultant long waiting list for the Special Advisory Clinic. A new form was
devised during the year, giving brief details of any child referred to the
Special Advisory Clinic, to facilitate the decision as to whether an appointment
was justified.