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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Mr. D. T. Baldwin
Principal Mental Welfare Officer
The increased use of the mental health service, to which attention
was drawn in my last report, continued during 1966, the first complete
year of work in the new borough. A total of 1,195 referrals from all
sources were made during the year, an increase of 25.4% over the figure
for I965.
Referrals from psychiatric hospitals more than doubled, whilst
referrals from general practitioners decreased by 14%. This was
undoubtedly due to the extended use of mental welfare officers at
psychiatric out-patient clinics at hospitals in the borough, and to the
increase in referrals for community care of patients discharged from
hospital.
The department was fortunate in that the staff dealing with this
aspect of the work remained unchanged during the year. One senior
mental welfare officer returned to the department on the successful
completion of a two-years course for the Certificate in Social Work,
and another senior was seconded by the Council in September for a
one-year course at the National Institute for Social Work.
Emergency Call Arrangements.
The rota which the mental welfare officers work jointly with
their Hammersmith colleagues, and the emergency call service organised
jointly by this Council and the City of Westminster, continued to
provide an efficient service at night, week-ends and public holidays.
Psychiatric Day Centre.
The Ladbroke Day Centre was opened on 1st January, 1966, and,
despite staffing and other problems initially, it is now running
smoothly under the direction of the supervisor, Miss L.M. Staunton.
By the end of the year, there were fourteen persons on the register,
and the average daily attendance was between ten and twelve persons.
In addition to the crafts hitherto practised, a certain amount of
light industrial work is done at the centre, such as the making of
soft toys.
Admissions to Hospital.
Of the 1,195 persons referred during the year, 4l6 were admitted
to psychiatric hospitals under arrangements made by the mental
welfare officers. 122 were admitted informally to hospitals by
mental welfare officers, in addition to those admitted informally by
arrangement between the general practitioners and the hospital
concerned, and in respect of whom no record is held by the
department.