[Report 1954] / School Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council.

  • Staffordshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / School Medical Officer of Health, Staffordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/104 (page 10)
    A valuable addition to the Service was eft'ected during the year by way of arrangement for the School Nurses to carry out vision testing of children in the 8-year age group. In order to reduce interruptions of the school curricula to a minimum, one School Nurse was appointed at the end of the year to take over this work and visit the schools in conjunction with the Audiometrician. Previous to this year, no routine inspection had taken place between entry and the second routine medical examination at 10 years, although a number of children were specially referred for examination by teachers and parents. This interval was too long because an inter¬ mediate eye examination has particular value in discovering cases of myopia, some of which are progressive and can be most helped if found in good time. The age of 8 years is satisfactory, and, while possibly on the late side, was chosen to coincide with the hearing exam.inations made at that age. As already mentioned, the staff concerned travel together and visit at the same time. Now that more experience has been gained with the “sweep” hearing test, consideration will be given to advancing the age for both examinations. The Ophthalmic Scheme has functioned most satis¬ factorily during the year and, indeed, more children were referred than could be seen by the Consultants, the position resulting from the increased number of children examined and re-examined, together with the additional “examination” at 8 years of age just referred to. Some years ago a scheme to provide remedial exercises for minor orthopaedic defects was adopted by the Education Com.mittee, but not until late 1954 was it possible to com_m.ence this work. A full-tim.e Physiotherapist was appointed in October to work in Stafford, Lichfield and Rugeley, and the value of the clinics has already been proved. It is too early to observe how far the exercises will correct the com.mon defects of the feet, posture etc., but there is scope here for much valuable preventive work. An even greater increase in the work of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic occurred during the year, and this was principally due to the large number of children referred by the Audiom.etrician following the hearing examinations of the