[Report 1947] / School Medical Officer of Health, Manchester.
- Manchester (England). Council.
- Date:
- 1947
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1947] / School Medical Officer of Health, Manchester. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Clinics and one part-time Dental Clinic are available for the provision of dental treatment for children under the care of the School Health Service. It is essential, however, that this should give rise to no feelings of complacency, for it must be remembered that with a school popula¬ tion of 90,000 children, at least 30 Dental Officers will be required to provide a complete scheme of dental inspection and treatment for the School Health Service. In my report for 1946, reference was made to plans for the provision of much needed additional dental clinic accommodation. It is regretted that little further progress in this respect can be reported, the general building difficulties having so far proved insuperable in respect of new buildings. Approval was, however, given to the plans for a new Dental Surgery at the Hulme School Health Centre in Stretford Road, and work on this project commenced at the end of the year. The plans to provide two further surgeries and a larger technical laboratory in the building adjoining the School Health Centre in Shakespeare Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, were approved in principle but were referred for slight amendment and final approval, is now awaited. In view of the difficulties that were being encountered in securing I buildings suitable for Dental Clinics, and the existence of a demand for dental treatment that could not be met in full by the facilities available, it was decided to inquire into the possibility of the use of Mobile Dental Units of a Trailer Caravan type as a temporary expedient. The! Ministry of Supply indicated their ability to provide Units of this! type that were surplus to service requirements ; approval for use ofl these was secured in December and an order was placed with thef Ministry for their delivery. In their existing state the Mobile Units are fitted for use in the field.- As it is intended to locate them in close proximity to suburban schoolsj they will be adapted for connection to the main electricity and water supplies. This will allow the provision of a scale of dental equipment] that will enable the Dental Officers working in these Units to provide full facilities for all types of dental work. During the year steps were taken to appoint three of the additionaJ Dental Officers approved by the Education Committee during 1945-1 1946 ; so far it has been possible to fill one of these, clinic accommoda-j tion having been found by deputing an Officer experienced in the use off general anaesthetics to act as Dental Anaesthetist for the Dental Surgeons at six other Clinics. One of the other two to be appointee will replace a part-time Officer ; the other will occupy the new Surger in the course of construction at the Hulme Clinic. The recruitment of new Dental staff has not been without difficulty! replies to advertisements from suitable candidates having been exceed! ingly few. It is apparent that employment in other spheres of thJ Dental profession offers considerably greater financial reward than ij obtainable in the School Health Service. It will be necessary, therefore if the Dental side of the School Health Service is to maintain its effij ciency, for consideration to be given to means whereby suitablj candidates may be attracted.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29927833_0022.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
