[Report 1952] / School Medical Officer of Health, Worcestershire / County of Worcester County Council.

  • Worcestershire (England). County Council.
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / School Medical Officer of Health, Worcestershire / County of Worcester County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    NOTES FROM ANNUAL REPORTS OF ASSISTANT COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICERS. Dr. V. Pugh (Bromsgrove) “ During the year I noted a better response to parents accom¬ panying their children to Medical Inspections. In many cases fathers attended where the mother was unable to do so. A medical inspection of a child with a parent is of much better value than a medical inspection of a child alone. A lot can be learnt from the parent and more help can be given to the child. The cramped space allotted to the medical officer in schools is much to be deplored. The notice to the parents states that the medical inspection is private but this is practically impossible in some schools where one small room is allotted for dressing, undressing and medical examination, sometimes the eye testing and weighing and measuring being carried out in the same cramped space, with staff rushing in and out to fetch things. Inspections that can be held at the Bromsgrove Clinic are very satisfactory as there is plenty of room for private examinations and good waiting accommodation for parents. The consent to “ booster ” doses of immunisation against diphtheria has increased in school entrants. The co-operation of the teaching staff in the Bromsgrove area has been a great help in this matter. There has been very little impetigo during the year and practically no scabies. The few problem families with the “ dirty heads ” still exist and in spite of hard work on the part of the nursing staff, keep recurring/ ’ Dr. D. A. Smyth (Stourbridge) We were somewhat behind hand with routine medical examina¬ tions at the beginning of the year, but examination of special cases during the summer holidays and great deal of help from the medical officers in neighbouring areas have brought us up to date in several schools and I hope to have all arrears made up by the end of the I952~53 academic year/’ Dr. A. M. Nelson (Bromsgrove R.D.) “ The general health of the children has been good. When the heights and weights of the children are compared with a standard scale, taking all factors into consideration, one gets a favourable impression especially among the entrants. In the older child, advice on the increased use of the tooth brush is always welcomed. Lastly, one feels that the wearing of rubber boots and plimsolls (except for physical training) in school is detrimental to foot hygiene.” Dr. E. Patterson (Redditch). “ Work has gone on steadily and quietly, with helpful co¬ operation from the Head Teachers and most parents. The latter attend school medical inspections well, especially the parents of the younger children. Parents of older children living in Redditch attend fairly well, but many scholars attending the County High School and the Technical School live out of the town and travelling is not always easy for the mothers.