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104
"Patients can reach the unit fairly easily (important for mothers with
young children); the Problem Case Conferences of Divisions 8 and 9 have been
regularly attended by members of the unit staff; knowledge of the district is quickly
growing; visits to homes and schools have been paid without undue loss of time.
At a later date research by the unit on social matters may be facilitated."
Referral of patients

The sources of referral are of interest for a number of reasons, and seem worth
careful analysis in future years. A preliminary impression is gained that patients
referred by the Problem Cases Conference are amongst the more serious and longstanding
problems seen here, more so on the whole than patients referred from other
sources. Further observation of this is necessary.
Clinical routine and teaching
"It has been arranged that this should follow closely the practice of the Children's
Department of Maudsley Hospital. Experience there has proved its efficiency
when doctors are under training in child psychiatry. It also allows a smooth exchange
of senior medical staff during leave or sickness. Registrars and postgraduate students
look after most of the patients with a close working liaison with the psychiatric
social workers and educational psychologists, who may also be dealing with the
parents or child. The doctors in training are supervised by the psychiatrist in charge
and senior registrar, who have a controlling hand over all the cases, and who have
taken on personally for treatment some patients because of peculiar difficulty or for
other reasons.
"Every patient is fully examined as a routine whatever the reason for referral,
and a broad socio-psycho-biological approach is used for each clinical problem.
Facilities have been made in the unit for the physical examination of every patient,
and for urine examination when required. Dr. Kenneth Cameron and Dr. W. H.
Gillespie visit the unit alternately each week to advise on specific patients and to teach.
It will be possible to draw on the help of other consultants at the Maudsley Hospital,
if required. Six electroencephalograms have been done at the Maudsley Hospital,
and two patients have been referred to King's College Hospital for X-ray examination.
The weekly routine includes a number of conferences and seminars, where ideas can
be exchanged and the opinions of the various members of the staff are sought to further
diagnosis and treatment of the patient under discussion. Doctors in training attend
the Maudsley Hospital for certain lectures, and visits by the unit staff and doctors
in training to other establishments dealing with children are planned. So far. a visit
to Ashford Residential School was paid on 29th November. The staff have also
exchanged visits with the Battersea Unit.
"The unit staff wish to co-operate with others who work with children, especially
in their catchment area. They are prepared to lecture to outside bodies, either in the
unit or elsewhere ; to try to promote a realistic knowledge of psychiatric disturbance