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Organisation
of work of
duly
authorised
officers
The Council's approved proposals under section 51 of the National Health Service
Act, 1946, provide that the work of securing that persons of unsound mind are placed
under control and subsequently of obtaining reception orders for their detention,
should be decentralised. Because of various problems, including the shortage of beds
in observation units, however, the service was started on a centralised basis in 1948 and
although the position has been reviewed year by year, on each occasion decentralisation
has been considered impracticable and the centralised arrangements have been continued.
During the year the matter was again fully investigated and it was decided that the
Minister of Health should be asked to approve an amendment of the proposals to enable
the service to be organised permanently on a centralised basis.
Liaison with
hospitals
A meeting was held on 25th October, 1955, at the County Hall to which the
physician-superintendents of all the mental hospitals receiving London patients were
invited to discuss matters of common interest, including the establishing of closer
contact between the mental welfare officers and the mental hospitals, and the integration
of after-care services. It is hoped to hold further meetings of this kind in future.
Domiciliary
care and
after-care

The arrangements for patients to be interviewed either privately at the County Hall
or at home were continued and it was possible from November to make arrangements
for an additional session (making a total of two) to be held each week at Woodberry
Down Health Centre by the psychiatric social worker responsible for interviewing
patients living in North-East London. It is hoped to make similar arrangements at health
lervice premises for the other psychiatric social workers in their respective areas.
Social clubs
and
rehabilitation
centre
National
Association
for Mental
Health
Long-term
care
The Council continued to make a grant or 90 per cent, or the cost in respect of the
attendance of London patients at the social clubs and the rehabilitation centre run by
the Institute of Social Psychiatry for persons suffering from mental illness.
It was decided, during the year, to renew for three years the annual grant of £200
made to the National Association for Mental Health in recognition of their general
services to the community and to local health authorities in the field of mental health.
The weekly maintenance rates at the homes at which chronic and senile patients
are maintained by the Council remained unchanged during the year. Moor Place,
Windlesham, Surrey, a home run by the National Association for Mental Health, at
which three patients were maintained, was closed in November and the patients were
transferred to a new home opened by the Association at Parnham House, Beaminster,
Dorset. At 31st December, 1955, three patients were maintained at Parnham House,
two at the Jewish Board of Guardians' hostel at 1 Daleham Gardens, N.W.3, and
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