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14
County
patients
These were located at Banstead (11 m. 20 f.), at Bexley (19 m. 25 f.), at Cane Hill
(9 m. 23 f.), at Claybury (20 m. 28 f.), at Colney Hatch (11 m. 37 f.), at Ewell Colony
(3f.), at Hanwell (13 m. 27 f.), at Horton (65 f.), at Long Grove (32 m. 26 f.), and at
West Park (22 m. 39 f.).
36. Patients who are chargeable to the county are those who have not acquired
a poor law settlement in any parish of England and Wales or who have no status
of irremovability from any such parish.* All patients when first received into the
mental hospitals are prima facie chargeable to the union or parish from which they
are sent. The parochial authorities in the case of a patient who is found not to be
settled in or irremovable from any parish or union of England and Wales may
give notice to the local authority (the Council) of intention to obtain an order of
a justice to adjudicate the chargeability to the county. All such cases are
enquired into by the chief officer of the mental hospitals department, and where
settlements can be found elsewhere steps are taken to get the notices withdrawn.
The attention of the parish authorities is also drawn to cases in which, from
information obtained, it would appear that patients might be chargeable to outcounty
parishes.
37. The chief officer makes enquiries as to the ability of all patients, who are
chargeable to the county, to reimburse either wholly or in part the expenses of their
maintenance.
38. During the year under review 29 notices were received from London
boards of guardians of their intention to obtain orders adjudicating the chargeability
of patients to the County of London. With 13 cases standing over from last
year this gave a total' of 42 cases to be dealt with. In 6 cases settlements were found
and the notices were withdrawn; in the remaining 36 cases, orders were made on
the County of London.
39. The 36 patients adjudicated to the county appeared to belong to the
following countries:—Ireland, 10; England, 3; Scotland, 8; Denmark, 1; Roumania,
1; Russia, 1; Canada, 1; South Africa, 1; Mauritius, 1; United States
of America, 1; South America, 1; China, 1; Unknown, 6.
40. The number of patients chargeable to the county, as compared with the
total number chargeable to London boards of guardians and to the county, for
whom the Council was providing accommodation at the commencement of 1930,
and of previous years, was as followsf :—

41. The total number of patients chargeable to London boards of guardians
and the county on 1st January, 1930, was 173 more than the number on 1st January,
1929. In 1890 the number of patients chargeable to the county amounted to 5 per
* As from 1st April, 1930, the law in this respect has been altered by the Local Government
Act, 1929.
† Figures for 1890-1899, 1901-1909, 1911-1914 and 1916-1919 are given in the Annual
Report for 1921 (Vol. II., p. 9).