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Statistics
In addition there were 3,807 mental defectives under statutory supervision in
their own homes and 365 under statutory guardianship.
The number of mental patients requiring treatment has continued to fall during
1944.
The considerable increase in the number of indirect admissions was due to the
necessity to transfer large blocks of patients because of damage to hospitals by
bombing. This was also reflected in the increase in the number of patients discharged
otherwise than recovered.
The number of patients under treatment in the emergency hospitals attached
to the mental health services during 1944 on the undermentioned dates were:—
1st January 2,989
1st April 3,478
1st July 1,809
1st September 1,344
31st December 2,343
In all, 29,500 patients passed through these hospitals during 1944.
During the year Bexley, Cane Hill, St. Bernard's and St. Lawrence's Hospitals
and Darenth Park were withdrawn from the Emergency Hospital Service, leaving
Claybury, Friern, Horton, Mill Hill and Sutton Hospitals still in the scheme.
Banstead Hospital continues to function as a military hospital.
Additional facilities were provided at the psychiatric out-patient clinic tor
children at the Maudsley Hospital to meet the needs of the education service following
the setting up in each of the nine education administrative divisions of a conference
to consider the cases of "problem" children, and the services of a psychiatrist
from Mill Hill Emergency Hospital were made available to give advice to the case
conferences.
Child
guidance
It was decided that, after the war, when the centres re-open, the organisation
and management of the Council's occupation centres for mentally defective children
and young persons under supervision shall be transferred to the Education Committee.
The labour shortage caused by the war has provided increasing opportunity
for placing in employment higher grade patients from the Council's mental deficiency
institutions, and at the end of 1944 there were 418 mental defectives on licence in
outside paid employment found for them by the institutions.
Occupation
centres for
the mentally
defective
Employment
of defectives
Arrangements were made, subject to certain conditions, for reports to be furnished
by social workers employed in the mental health services to the Provisional National
Council for Mental Health on persons coming within the scope of a scheme drawn
After-care