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 1954

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

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Table: The following table gives details of the work carried out during the year at the four units:

The following table gives details of the work carried out during the year at the four units:

BrixtonBatterseaEarls CourtWoodberry DownTotal
No. of applications received2376295137531
No. awaiting first interview at 31st December52202943144
No. interviewed and awaiting treatment1121121357
Number of patients
In treatment at 1st January150355723265
New cases treated159479591392
Total30982152114657
In treatment at 31st December136355640267
Discharged173479674390
No. of follow-ups9261—72
No. of home visits by psychiatric social worker1626211982
No. of school visits by staff41565764218
Disposal of patients
Treatment completed86114533175
Transferred to other treatment13512636
Further attendance impossible151016748
Unco-operative42171828105
Placed or placement recommended1545—24
Taken into care2———2
Total173479674390
Closing status of completed treatments
Recovered33131754
Improved35829779
No change18213942
Worse—————
Total86114533175

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Psychiatric
services at
boarding
special
schools and
residential
establishments
A new boarding special school for maladjusted children—Pine End—was opened by
the Education Officer and arrangements were made for it to be visited by a psychiatrist
and a psychiatric social worker. Similar arrangements continued at the other schools
for maladjusted children, and it is considered that they play an important part in the
work of these schools.
Other special boarding schools and residential establishments continued to be visited
by the Council's psychiatrists. It is ever more widely recognised that the separation of
young children from their families and homes creates difficulties and problems of which
the psychiatrist has a particular and specialised knowledge and understanding. In the
course of their visits to the various establishments the psychiatrists give the staff general
advice and guidance on the management of difficult children, discuss points of general
interest and also examine individual children. It has been found that their advice and
help have been generally appreciated by the staff and have led to a better understanding
of the problems and needs of children deprived of a normal home life.
Day school
for
maladjusted
children
The Lilian Baylis School, the first day school for maladjusted children in the county,
was opened in January, and much interest has been aroused in this experiment in the
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