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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
There have been some new features within the service together with inevitable
changes and developments including the commencement of a special group held weekly
at Lindley School Treatment Centre of severely subnormal children unable to attend
Junior Training Schools. The Department also during the year acquired two specially
adapted vehicles for the conveyance of children to Special Units at day nurseries and a
third special unit was opened at a newly built day nursery. A Special Care Unit for ten
severely subnormal children was opened at Egst Dulwich Grove and the transfer was
carried out of a junior training school from unsatisfactory premises to an adapted
prefabricated structure, formerly used as a Civil Defence training establishment. Preliminary
thoughts have been given in connection with the possible transfer of the education
of subnormal children from the Health to the Education Service, should legislation be
promoted.
Close liaison with psychiatric hospitals continues especially in the field of after-care.
The Psychiatric Advisory Committee to the Medical Officer of Health (Psychiatric
Hospital Consultants) met at intervals to discuss current problems, new complementary
requirements and possible new ventures; this is one of the most valuable links in
community work co-operation and co-ordination between hospital and local authority
services. A party of Council members and others visited Bexley Hospital in October at the
invitation of the Hospital Management Committee.
The joint arrangements with the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth to
share, on a rota basis, out of office calls and emergencies, i.e. evenings, week-ends and
holidays, continue very satisfactorily. In addition to the usual contacts of mental welfare
officers with general practitioners in connection with removal of certain patients to
hospitals, co-operation regarding after-care has increased. The male mental health escort
employed by Southwark continued to assist other London Boroughs.
The Council agreed to continue to share the cost of maintenance of the central
index of mentally disordered persons by the Greater London Council.
There was disappointment all round at the slow progress towards completion of
the Grange Tannery Project, consisting of an adult training centre, which the Council
decided to name Crispin House, a day centre and hostel for the elderly mentally infirm
named Evelyn Coyle House, and a hostel for mentally subnormal youths named Gibson
House.
National Mental Health Week (June 10th—15th) was aimed at encouraging public
awareness of mental disorders and to help remove the prejudice and stigma. In order to
publicise the services available, the Council authorised the Health Department to arrange
various activities such as open days at day and training centres and schools and an
exhibition at the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre which contained displays of work by
patients and which was visited by over 2,500 people.
The Council sent delegates to various conferences on Mental Health including the
Congress of the Royal Society of Health, where among the subjects discussed was the
prevention of mental disorder.
Officers of the department dealing with mental health services attended a variety of
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