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IV COMMUNITY CARE SERVICES
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Referrals
Persons referred to the department showed a decrease of 28 per cent from last
year and the number under community care decreased by 19 per cent.
Admissions to Hospital
In addition to community care for patients and their fami1ies the mental health
social workers are responsible for the statutory admission where necessary of patients
to hospital. Informal and compulsory admissions for the year numbered 149, adecrease
of 12 per cent from last year.
Emergency Night and Weekend Service
A designated mental health officer must, statutorily, be available at all times
to deal with emergency calls for the mental health service. This means providing a
24-hour service, seven days a week including bank holidays.
The mental health social workers augmented by some nursing staff provide a night
and weekend duty service on a rota basis. This emergency service operates from 5 p.m.
each evening to 8.45 a.m. the following morning and at weekends from 5.p.m. onFridays
to 8.45 a.m. on Mondays, during which period all requests are directed to the duty
doctor at St. Clement's Hospital, Bow Road, E.3. who contacts the mental health
officer on duty as required.
Approval of Doctors under Mental Health Act 1959
The Mental Health Act 1959 provides that one of the two medical recommendations
required for the compulsory removal of mentally disordered persons to hospital shall
be made by a doctor approved for this purpose by the local health authority as having
special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders. Two applications
were received this year for approval.
Short-Term Care
Temporary care is arranged in homes and hospitals for mentally subnormal patients
to give relatives a welcome relief and to allow them to take a holiday. Arrangements
were made for 15 patients this year.
Residential Hostel Accommodation
The Council accepts financial responsibility for the care of mentally disordered
persons in residential hostel accommodation provided in the Borough by a voluntary
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