[Report 1956] / School Medical Officer of Health, North Riding of Yorkshire County Council, Scarborough Divisional Executive.

  • North Riding of Yorkshire (England). County Council (Scarborough Divisional Executive)
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / School Medical Officer of Health, North Riding of Yorkshire County Council, Scarborough Divisional Executive. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Routine examinations were necessarily fewer for two further reasons ;> staff shortages for the main part of the year, and pre-occupation of the: medical and nursing staff with the poliomyelitis vaccination scheme. The’ execution of this scheme within the rigid limits imposed by the Ministry: of Health proved exasperating and time-consuming. The effects were; particularly felt in the North Riding which had the highest acceptance] rate of all the English counties. Diseases and Defects. 1,472 of the 16,062 children inspected were considered to be suffering: from a defect or disease (other than dental disease or infestation with vermin) requiring treatment. This represents 9-16% of ail pupils inspected and is lower than the corresponding figure for 1955 (10-14%). The decrease!: was noted in all age groups inspected. The following table shows the numbers of pupils inspected and the! numbers found to require treatment :— Group Number of Pupils ! Inspected T Found to require treatment (excluding dental diseases and infestation with vermin) { Entrants 4,231 384 (9-08%) 7-8 years 4,180 382 (9-14%) Leavers 2,781 232 (8-34%) - Total (prescribed groups) 11,192 998 (8-92%) Other periodic inspections 4,870 474 (9-73%) Grand Total 16,062 — -———— 1 ■ ■ 1,472 (9*16%) -- . Further details are given in tables I and III in the appendix. The sharp reduction in the numbers of children examined as “ specials ” and re-examined on one or more occasions was due to the three factors mentioned above. It is possible that the figures will remain permanently depressed. Such an eventuality would not necessarily be unwelcome, for > a record of mere numbers does not show the extent or value of the examination performed. Thus the time-consuming examinations of handicapped j children counts, statistically, as one examination just as a superficial review of a known case of mild knock knee. It is intended that more and more of the time of school health service will be given to the care of children really in need of attention.