London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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6
Patients.
5. The number of resident patients on 1st January, 1924, was:—
Table 2.
| Mental hospital. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banstead | 1,009 | 1,374 | 2,383 |
| Bexley | 1,032 | 1,086 | 2,118 |
| Cane Hill | 923 | 1,245 | 2,168 |
| Claybury | 1,052 | 1,374 | 2,426 |
| Claybury Hall (private patients only) | 45 | — | 45 |
| Colney Hatch | 1,044 | 1,558 | 2,602 |
| Hanwell | 1,009 | 1,457 | 2,466 |
| Horton | 187 | 1,699* | 1,886 |
| Long Grove | 1,093 | 1,019 | 2,112 |
| Total | 7,394 | 10,812 | 18,206 |
| Total (excluding Claybury Hall) | 7,349 | 10,812 | 18,161 |
| *Includes 120 patients in the private ward. | |||
Charges for
private
patients.
This table excludes the Ewell Colony, which on 1st January, 1924, was still
in use as a Ministry of Pensions hospital.
6. The increase in the number of patients at Horton as compared with the
number on 1st January, 1923 (see Table 2, on p. 6 of Annual Report for 1922), is
due to the gradual filling up of vacant accommodation during 1923 as staff
became available to allow of the opening of the wards.
7. Comparison of Tables 1 and 2 shows that the mental hospitals (excluding
the Ewell Colony), taken as a whole, housed 615 patients (241 males and 374 females)
more than the measured accommodation allowed for. Of this number, 78 (29 males
and 49 females) were chargeable to parishes and unions outside the County of
London and were awaiting removal to out-county mental hospitals.
8. The charge for the maintenance of a female private patient in the private
ward before the war was 16s. l1d. a week; during the twelve months under review
the charge has been 35s. a week. The charge for private patients at Claybury Hall
before the war was 30s. a week for London patients and 40s. a week for out-county
patients; during the same period the charge has been 56s. a week for London patients
and 66s. 6d. a week for out-county patients.
Patients for
whom the
Council was
responsible.
9. The statutory returns to the Council by the London boards of guardians, taken with other available information, show that on 1st January, 1924, the Council was responsible to find accommodation for 18,918 insane persons, who were housed as follows:—
Table 3.
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parish patients in London County mental hospitals | 6,449 | 10,441 | 16,890 |
| Parish patients maintained by the Council in other mental hospitals under contract | 279 | 298 | 577 |
| Parish patients in county and borough mental hospitals under arrangements made by guardians | 129 | 129 | 258 |
| Private patients at Horton mental hospital | — | 120 | 120 |
| Patients in various London County mental hospitals on the private list (Lunacy Act, 1891, section 3), including soldiers classified as " service " patients | 861 | 202 | 1,063 |
| Criminal lunatics in various London County mental hospitals chargeable to the Prison Commissioners | 10 | — | 10 |
| 7,728 | 1 ,1 50 | 18,918 |
The sub-totals printed here in italics appear again in Table 5.
[This table does not include male private patients at Claybury Hall, but it does include female
private patients at Horton mental hospital, all of whom have London settlements and are received
at a specially low rate, so that probably, if not dealt with thus, the Council would have to provide
for them as parish cases. This is true also of the "private list" cases, all of whom are
admitted in the first instance as parish cases and also of the majority of the "service"
patients.]