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With the opening of the Psychiatric Unit at Hackney Hospital in 1966
the greater number of patients previously admitted to St.Clement's Hospital
from the London Borough of Hackney will be admitted to the Psychiatric Unit
at Hackney Hospital and, therefore, application has been made to the Board
that St. Clement's Hospital should increase its catchment area to include
the postal district of E. l.
Out-Patient Department
The out-patient department continued to develop during the year
Attendances rose by 3,184 over the previous year to 7,800 and Day Hospital
attendances by 2,031 to 8,114.
Geriatric Unit
92 patients were admitted to Dundee Ward, 33 being from the E. 3. and
E.14. districts, the remaining 59 mainly from the catchment area of Long
Grove Hospital. There were 53 admissions to and 39 discharges from the
Day Hospital.
In addition,Day Centre facilities continued to be provided on two days
a week at Trinity Church and a new Day Centre for the elderly was provided
at Pritchards Road by the Local Authority. A separate report has been made
by Dr. J.J. Cockburn, Consultant in charge of the Psychogeriatric Unit.
St. Clement's Psychogeriatric In-patient Unit and Day Hospital.
The Consultant Psychiatrist to St. Clement's Hospital, J.J. Cockburn, M. B.,
M. R. C. P. I., D. P.M., has kindly supplied the following report on the year's work
of the Hospital's Psychogeriatric In-patient Unit and Day Hospital.
Dundee Ward. The total number of admissions to the in-patient unit
(Dundee Ward) is 107 and this is practically the same as the admissions for
1964. There is a gently rising trend particularly if one takes into account
the first quarter of 1966 when 35 patients were admitted. Of the 107
patients admitted to Dundee Ward in 1965, 68 were first admissions and 39
were readmissions.
Of the 115 patients discharged from Dundee Ward during the year, 63
went home and 21 were transferred to Long Grove Hospital for long stay care.
This high number of transfers to Long Grove reflects the policy of admitting
dementing patients for investigation and assessment when it appears to be
indicated. I consider that all dementing patients under the age of 65
years ought to be carefully assessed. Another group which is often best
admitted to a short term psychogeriatric unit is of older patients who
show a recent rapid deterioration and who exhibit troublesome behavioural
problems such as aggression or wandering. These patients, though they
often have deteriorated on account of physical factors such as pneumonia,
are difficult to deal with on a general medical ward.
44.