View report page

158
of local authorities. Such a scheme would ensure better therapeutic
liaison between the hospital, the local authority and the family
doctor and, whether in-patient, out-patient or day-patient a more
stable relationship would emerge, all within an environment familiar
to the individual concerned. This latter point will become progressively
more important as the proportion of our elderly rises
and the psycho-geriatric problems increase correspondingly.
General
Our policy of dealing with mental handicap within the community
and home environment was further promoted by the
opening of a new adult industrial training centre in May of the
current year.
At local hospitals where psychiatric out-patient clinics are held,
satisfactory liaisons have been established with consultants which
enable individual cases and problems to be discussed with beneficial
results. However, with the exception of the Greenwich District
Hospital, efforts to attach social workers to these clinics have been
unsuccessful although there are distinct possibilities that such
arrangements may be in operation at the Woolwich Memorial
Hospital by May, 1970, and at St. Nicholas Hospital by 1971.
Meanwhile our existing attachments at the Greenwich District
and Castlewood Day Hospitals continue to function smoothly.
In my 1967 Report I commented on the fact that, throughout
the country, parents of some mentally handicapped were concerned
that their children were not receiving the best possible education
and training commensurate with their abilities and aptitudes and I
indicated that, in the best interests of the children, an early
decision should be made. This decision has now been taken and
our junior training centres are to become the responsibility of
the I.L.E.A. from 1st April, 1971, from which date Section 57 of
the 1944 Education Act will cease to apply.
Although in many cases such a reorganisation may well have
been necessary, I am confident that present educational and training
facilities available to the mentally handicapped child in Greenwich
are such that improvement could only be marginal if at all. Moreover,
our experience, locally, has shown that the majority of these
mentally handicapped will need supervision and/or social welfare
support beyond school age and this will fall to the local authority
to supply. Undoubtedly it is the quality of service and its benefits
accruing to the handicapped child that should be paramount but
the transfer and re-transfer of cases between the responsible
authorities which under the new arrangements seems more than
likely, can be viewed only with trepidation.