childcare-50years

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The treatment of handicapping conditions is badly taught
in medical schools but I also found that it is extremely
badly taught in all these disciplines so I had to get not only
therapists, but therapists with a specialist post graduate
knowledge and experience of handicapping conditions.'
(Field, 1982).
The late 1980s and 1990s saw the establishment of Child
Development Centres and Community Paediatricians appointed in
each Board with responsibility for children with developmental
disabilities. As a result, many children have access to specialist clinics
within their own localities and fewer children have to be seen at
regional treatment centres in Belfast. Dr N Hill, Consultant
Community Paediatrician in South and East Belfast HSS Trust recently
scoped the known morbidities i.e. those that have been recognised
for many years and the 'new' morbidities i.e. emerging trends and
conditions that have become prevalent in relatively recent times. It is
evident that the latter present new challenges to the
multidisciplinary, community team (Figure 1).
50 YEARS OF CHILD CARE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
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