The Unprotected Years Sir Kingsley Wood, the Minister of Health,
com- menting on the Government's plans for improving our national health services, has lately emphasised some serious deficiences. Of these one of the most remarkable is the . lack of any scheme of medical supervision for children of between the ages at which they leave school and at which they become contributors to national health insurance respectively. Throughout their school life, children arc ensured of regular medical attention ; young people are ensured of it on entering industry; but the efficiency of the system is much impaired because of the damage which may be done in the interval.. Medical care is lacking at that very period of adolescence in which it is most necessary : not only medical care indeed but increased nutrition equally is desirable, owing to the increased demands put upon the child in this period of rapid growth. The League of Nations Committee on Nutrition, in its report, has specially emphasised the increased incidence of various diseases, particularly tuber- culosis, in the period from 15 to 18. These are clearly very strong reasons for filling the gap which now exists ; it is satisfactory that the Minister of Health is proposing to seek Parliamentary powers to remedy this defect.
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