How schools perceive the school health service.

An awareness by health professionals of changing priorities facing the School Health Service (SHS) has led to increased attempts to evaluate current practice. In the present study we set out to examine how schools perceive the SHS, to identify their concerns and obtain their suggestions for improvements. Despite direct and repeated personal communication, only 26 questionnaires were returned out of 64 sent to primary and post primary schools. The majority of responses indicated a lack of knowledge about the various aspects of the SHS and a request for more information. Half the questionnaires indicated dissatisfaction with the current SHS--particular problems identified were poor communication, lack of information and inability to deal with social problems. Suggestions made by schools to improve the SHS include improved communication between schools, SHS and parents, better and increased health education. Schools identified the current health needs of pupils as health education; social, family and behavioural problems; and developmental problems. Overall those schools who responded welcomed the approach from the SHS.