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36
Admissions under the Mental Health Act 1959
Although in 1966 there was an increase in statutory work of the Mental
Welfare Officers, 1967 has shown the re-establishment of the earlier gradual
downward trend in the number of admissions with which the Mental Welfare
Officers were concerned.
There was a drop of about one third in the number of informal admission
and of 13% in compulsory admissions effected by the officers. There was a
small increase in the number of cases investigated but where admission was
not necessary. It is satisfactory to record a fall of 19% in the number of
occasions when recourse was had to emergency admission procedures.

*Figures for informal admissions only refer to those cases where the Mental
Welfare Officers were involved, i.e. only about 9% of all voluntary admissions.
In Netherne and Cane Hill Hospitals Mental Welfare Officers were concerne
with 48 Section 25 procedures and 22 Section 26 procedures.
Guardianship
During 1967 one patient was placed under the Guardianship of the Locals
Health Authority. No patient was discharged from guardianship. The number
of patients under guardianship was thus increased from 18 on 12th December
1966 to 19 on 12th December 1967.
Training Centres
(i) Junior Training Centre
Further temporary adaptations have had to be made to Coldharbour Houses
during 1967 to permit building work on the new school building which is every
tually to replace the present centre. This made further difficulties for the
Supervisor and staff of the centre, but a satisfactory level of work was maun
tained and the capacity of the centre was actually increased.