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institutions for the mentally defective in outside paid employment found for them
by the institutions and, in addition, there were 53 patients on licence in employment
found by the women inspectors on the central staff.
The number of patients under treatment in the Emergency Medical Services
hospitals attached to the Mental Health Services during 1945 on the undermentioned
dates were:—
1st January 2,336
1st April 2,473
1st July 2,259
1st September 1,953
31st December 1,227
In all, 21,343 patients passed through these E.M.S. hospitals during 1945.
During the year, Friern and Mill Hill Hospitals were withdrawn from the
Emergency Medical Services scheme, leaving only Claybury, Horton and Sutton
Hospitals still in the scheme at the end of the year. A part of Banstead Hospital
continues to function as a military hospital.
In January, 1945, the state of the war was such that the Ministry of Health,
Emergency Medical Service, was forced to consider three interrelated problems,
intimately concerned with the psychiatric services provided on the Ministry's behalf
by the Council at Mill Hill Emergency Hospital. The three problems were:—
Mill Hill
emergency
hospital
(1) The provision of in-patient treatment for repatriated prisoners of
war suffering from neurotic illness;
(2) The closure of the Mill Hill Emergency Hospital to allow the
return of Mill Hill School to its premises;
(3) The re-opening of the Maudsley Hospital, particularly to reinstate
the post-graduate medical school there for the training of demobilised
doctors in the psychiatric specialty.
(1) The work at Mill Hill continued in full function until May, 1945. From that
date medical, nursing and ancillary staff were transferred to the Southern Hospital,
Dartford, to build up a neurosis centre for repatriated prisoners of war. By July,
1945, the centre was fully staffed for 350 beds, and in full function. The work of the
centre is dealt with more fully later in this report.
(2) From May, 1945, in inverse relationship to the building up of Dartford the
work at Mill Hill decreased. No further admissions were accepted after the end of
July; the final disposal of all cases had been made by the end of August and the
hospital was closed on 3rd September, 1945, six years after its opening. The Governors
and Head Master of Mill Hill School were, throughout the occupation of the
school, most generous in their co-operation and warm thanks are due to them.
(3) Transfer of medical, nursing and ancillary staff to the Maudsley hospital
was effected on 3rd September. Beds were opened in October, and the training
scheme for demobilised doctors started in December.