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Most referrals to these special clinics are by school medical officers
and school nurses.
All children have their vision tested on entering school at 5 years
or earlier if they attend a nursery class. Vision is tested for colour
defects in boys of 11 years; at present new testing material is being introduced
to enable testing at an earlier age. Girls will also be tested in
future although few females are affected.
When any defect is found the children are seen hy eye specialists at
one of the four vision clinics in the borough or at the eye departments of
local hospitals.
The majority of children seen were found to have errors of refraction
and/or squint and 1,165 pairs of glasses were ordered.
Special attention is given to verifying that a child's hearing is
satisfactory. One school nurse spends most of her time testing hearing in
schools with an audiometer. All 5 year olds and new entrants are tested
as a routine and selective hearing tests are carried out on older children.
Children who fail the first test - a sweep test - are given a more
detailed hearing test at John Scott Health Centre. Throughout the year
4,990 children were given a sweep test, of whom 224 required a further test
and 113 were referred to the consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon who
conducts a weekly clinic at John Scott Health Centre.
The special investigation clinics continue to provide a service for
children suffering from obesity, enuresis and early emotional problems. The
clinics are manned by a doctor and a social worker working closely together
with the family.
Some children may be seen at a special investigation clinic prior to
being referred to the Child Guidance Unit and in these cases the social
worker will provide support for the families either at the clinic or in their
homes and will subsequently provide a social report on the family. School
health social workers maintain very close liaison with the area teams of
the Education Welfare Service and the Social Services Department.
A small amount of minor ailment treatment is still carried out at two
Centres. Details of the defects treated are shown below:-
Athlete's foot 2
Plantar Warts (Verrucae) 205
Other skin diseases 2
Bruises, lacerations, etc. 66
In addition 503 school children attended the Council's chiropody
clinics - mainly for the treatment of plantar warts. 810 children attended
the two bathing centres; 712 with head lice and 94 with scabies.