The effectiveness of vision screening by school nurses in secondary school.

Vision screening of 13 and 15 year old children by school nurses in Oxfordshire has declined in recent years due to the pressure of other commitments. A study was carried out to evaluate the likely consequences of failing to provide vision screening for secondary schoolchildren, in order to make a decision about the future of the service. Parents were also asked to complete a questionnaire about their children's past eye histories.

School nurses immunising without a doctor present.

Oxfordshire's school health nurses routinely carry out rubella and tetanus and polio booster immunisations without a doctor present. Kate Saffin describes the preparation for and introduction of the practice and the results of an evaluation study. School nurses surveyed reported only one problem: increased workload because the doctor is no longer there to provide 'an extra pair of hands'.

How well are parent held records kept and completed?

During 1986 and 1987 parents in part of the Oxfordshire district health authority were given their child's health and development records while in the other part of the health district the records remained with the clinic. Between August 1988 and February 1989 an audit was made of a sample of parents attending child health clinics in the two areas: the study examined 284 parents who had parent held records and 168 who did not; how many records were available and if not, why not; how well and by whom records were completed and parents' views on who they felt should keep the record. Interviews revealed that parents with a parent held record liked the scheme and were confident about remembering to take the record to the clinic.