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 1952

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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128
held for medical officers; they dealt with the detection of psychological problems in
children at as early a stage as possible. In this sphere, as in others, it is not possible to
draw any distinction between work for the pre-school child and that for schoolchildren.

Table: Child guidance unit statistics

Child guidance unit statistics

BrixtonBatterseaEarls CourtWoodberry Down (opened Oct., 1952)Total
No. of applications received239899525448
No. awaiting first interview at 31st December929191168
No. interviewed and awaiting treatmentNil1310528
Number of patients
In treatment at 1st January412657—124
New cases treated19968979373
240941549497
In treatment at 31st December14426639242
Discharged966891—255
No. of follow-ups–525–30
No. of home visits by psychiatric social worker61321912124
No. of school visits by staff52491021204
Disposal of patients1
Treatment completed323542—109
Transferred to other treatment17103—30
Further attendance impossible12610—28
Unco-operative371723—77
Placed or placement recommended——3—3
Not stated—210—12
Total987091—259
Closing status of completed treatments
Recovered111214—37
Improved191720—56
No change268—16
Worse—————
Total323542—109

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* The disposal classifications are not mutually exclusive and a patient may appear under more than one of these
headings.
Speech therapy
During the latter part of 1952, speech therapy clinics were opened in 16 day schools
and two boarding schools for the physically handicapped and at one boarding school for
the educationally sub-normal. The opening of the clinics in the schools for the physically
handicapped was a new venture which revealed a considerable demand for speech
therapy at these schools. The number of clinics for children attending ordinary schools
rose to 28 and it was found possible to make increases in the number of sessions provided
at some of the 22 clinics for children at day schools for the educationally sub-normal.
At the end of the year 1,059 children were still under treatment at the Council's
clinics. New admissions during the year totalled 778 and 250 children were discharged
cured or improved ; 101, most of whom were improved, ceased to attend for various
reasons. Further visits were paid to the homes of children who required speech therapy
but who were too severely handicapped to attend school.