[Report 1927] / School Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council.

  • Essex (England). County Council.
Date:
1927
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1927] / School Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/48 (page 3)
    8 PREFACE. TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE ESSEX EDUCATION COMMITTEE. I i In acoordance with the requirements of tlie Board of Education, I have the onour to submit to you the Nineteenth Annual Report on Medical Inspection and reatment of Scliool Children in the Administrative County of Essex for the year ided 31st Decemher, 1927. ) Medical and Nursing Service. On the Slst Decemher, 1927, the Medical Staff, including those engaged on r dministrative duties, consisted of the equivalent of 6f whole-time Medical Officex’s, 'hereas in 1914 the number was 6i. It will, therefore, be seen that, even with the i( iree new appointments I’ecorded on page 8 of this Report, the Medical Staff is 8 ractically of the same strength as that provided before the War, despite the increase 11 population. This increase in population is most notable in the Dagenham area, I 'here there is urgent need for the equivalent of an additional whole-time Medical ) 'fficer for medical inspections. Dr. Thomas, of Dagenham, states on page 24 4 lat—‘ there are some 11,000 children on the school registers, and there are others i waiting admission. Each year sees an addition of some 3,000 children to the 3 ohool population.” This matter has already received consideration by the Medical ud Nursing Services Joint Sub-Committee, who have recommended the appoint- t lent of an additional Assistant County Medical Officer for the Dagenham area. When the Chief Health Nurse (Miss D. M. Landon) was permitted to under- ! ake the duties of County Superintendent for the Essex County Nursing Association, ^ i was surmised that she would require an Assistant to cope with the supervising of he increasing staff of Health Visitors and District Nurses. During the year, the I Education Committee agreed to such an appointment being made, and in January ! 928, Miss E. A. Davieson took up duty as Assistant Chief Healtli Nurse and i assistant County Superintendent. Ai'rangements are being made with the Dagenham Urban District Council for a ) Combined Nursing Service for that area which, if ratified, will result in the equivalent I if slightly more than one whole-time School Nurse for that area. This will not only t trengthen the Nursing Service, but will increase the usefulness of each Nurse in he smaller and compact district allocated to her. The additional Nurse sanctioned for the Braintree and Dunmow area in 1928 vill greatly facilitate the work of following up cases needing treatment in that pai't )f the County. ,2) Inspections. Parents realise to-day that medical insjiection is part of the school life of every ;hild and includes a routine medical overhaul on admission, at mid-school life and m leaving. This view is corroborated by Dr. Alderton (see page 15), in his statement that—“ it would appear that parents are acquiring the habit of looking orward to medical inspections.” Objections to inspection diminish year by year and this is to be expected when t is rememlxered that many parents have themselves had tlie advantage of and