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ill, domiciliary psychiatric nursing, special out-patient clinics for the subnormal, a
psychiatric hostel, and drug addiction.
The maintenance of close liaison between hospital and local health authority
after care services and the proven value of continuity has now resulted in the employment
of five mental welfare officers as joint appointments with the psychiatric hospitals
concerned; during the year one additional appointment was made, for shared
duties with Cane Hill Hospital.
One result of discussion in the Psychiatric Advisory Committee on the desirability
of having a psychiatric nurse for making domiciliary visits to psychiatric
patients after discharge from hospital, where there was a need for more than ordinary
home nursing facilities, was the commencement in the early part of the year, in
conjunction with St. Olave's Hospital of a pilot scheme whereby a Council home
nurse, with psychiatric training, worked in the catchment area of the hospital. By
attending case conferences the nurse is able to learn of patients' needs and the continuity
of treatment required, with a view to preventing possible relapse by follow-up
nursing visits and ensuring that the prescribed treatment, was being carried out.
The pilot scheme proved very successful: the number of patients visited increased;
earlier discharge from hospital became possible; and there was a drop in the relapse
rate. After six months experience, it was decided to permanise the arrangement and
make a joint appointment (shared costs) between the local health authority and the
hospital.
There was further co-operation with the hospital service in the continuance of
the joint appointment of an occupational therapist and a reference appears later in
this report.
Arrangements for dealing with out-of-office-hours calls and emergencies, i.e.
evening, weekends, holiday, etc., continued as before by joint arrangement with the
London Boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth with a shared duty rota of mental
welfare officers.
The male mental health escort employed by Southwark continued to assist other
boroughs on a payment basis and carried out a total of 267 escorts.
This Council agreed to share the cost with other inner London boroughs in
the maintenance, by the Greater London Council for a period of five years, of the
central index of mentally disordered persons.
The Council in response to a request, decided that junior training centres should
be renamed junior training schools and that supervisors and assistant supervisors be
renamed head teachers and teachers respectively. As a result of the Council adopting
a revised standard nomenclature for staff, the designations of the Principal Mental
Health Social Worker, Deputy Principal, and Mental Health Social Workers were
renamed Chief Mental Welfare Officer, Deputy Chief, and Mental Welfare Officers
respectively.
A part-time therapy group for those persons unable to attend a day centre for
the mentally ill in a full-time capacity (mainly housewives) was commenced. They
were paid travelling expenses and provided with lunch as for full-time attenders but
received only half-rate payments for any industrial work done.
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