[Report 1948] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / School Medical Officer, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    To the Chairman and Members of the Education Committee of the Somerset County Council. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I luive the lioiiour to submit my Twelfth Amiual Ifeport which gives a general survey of tlie work of the School Health Service together with the essential statistical information. The National lleallh Service Act came into force in July of last year. Changes in the scope of the School Medical Service and its financial liabilities have naturally followed. The Kegional Hos])ital Boards were, however, hardly estab¬ lished before the Act came into force and much of the old County work, for which the Board is now resjionsihle, is still being carried on by your staff. The County Council is acting as agent of the Board during the period of transition. This period is hound to he a long one in some respecis but continued close co-operation between the County Council and the Eegional Board and between your staff and the Eegional Board olficials has prevented a breakdown over the early part of this very critical time. All Hospital Services are now a National responsibility and no charge falls upon the County Council. Similarly all charges for orthopaedic, orthoptic and tuberculosis clinics have passed to the Eegional Hospital Board. The County Council remains responsible under the Education Acts for the following:— IMedical and Dental Inspection. Minor Ailments Clinics. Dental Treatment (with the exception of Hosjiital Treatment). School Nursing Services. Child Guidance—the Eegional Board paying a small proportion of the Psychiatrists’ salaries. Speech Therapy. It is probable that the orthopaedic clinics, which are concerned very largely with school children, will continue for some considerable time to be organised and controlled by your staff at County Hall and County-owned buildings are used to house most of the clinics. The Eegional Board will, howev'er, reimburse the County Council for this work. My thanks are dne to all Head Masters and Head Mistresses for their help with School Medical Inspection and other aspects of school health work. Without this help much of the work in the schools would indeed be difficult and, in effect, not so valuable. I am also grateful to all members of the staff for their assistance, and in particular to Dr. D. V. Hague who has been responsible for the details of this report. I am, Yours faithfully, J. F. DAVIDSON. Health Department. Somerset County Council. April, 1949.