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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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109 in homes sponsored by the Mental After-Care Association, making a total of 114
compared with 107 at 31st December, 1954.
Recuperative
holidays
Recuperative holidays were arranged for 196 persons recovering from psychiatric
illness compared with 205 in 1954 and 210 in 1953. Of these 122 were recovering from
mild psychiatric illnesses and were sent to general recuperative holiday homes for two
or three weeks ; 49 were sent for short holidays to homes sponsored by the Mental
After-Care Association and 25 were sent for periods up to twelve weeks, to assist in
their rehabilitation, to the Mental After-Care Association's homes at Cheam, Surrey,
and Dartford. Kent.
The following table shows the sources from which cases were brought to notice under Statistics the Mental Deficiency Acts and the action taken thereon :
| Sourccs of information | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | Totals from 1.4.14 to 31.12.55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision section | 14 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 1,611 |
| Local education authority | 570 | 533 | 502 | 501 | 17,089 |
| Police authority (section 8) | 32 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 2,030 |
| Transfers from prison (section 9) | — | — | — | 1 | 230 |
| Transfers from approved school (section 9) . | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 572 |
| From hospitals and institutions | 124 | 97 | 91 | 99 | 801 |
| Miscellaneous | 222 | 222 | 229 | 261 | 11,234 |
| Total | 962 | 887 | 860 | 889 | 33,567 |
The position at 31st December, 1955, with regard to the cases referred to in the last column of the preceding table is shown below, together with the position on the same date in the three preceding years :
| 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detained in institutions | 7,862* | 7,842* | 7,799* | 7,762* |
| Discharged from institutional care | 3,075 | 3,235 | 3,428 | 3,624 |
| Removed to mental hospitals | 555 | 572 | 592 | 596 |
| Not subject for action | 9,922 | 10,190 | 10,549 | 11,045 |
| Died | 4,678 | 4,853 | 5,006 | 5,158 |
| Total removed from active list | .. 26,092 | 26,692 | 27,374 | 28,185 |
| Under guardianship | 222 | 223 | 217 | 224 |
| In places of safety awaiting the presentation of a petition | 11 | 11 | 11 | 6 |
| Under supervision In hospitals, residential nurseries, etc., awaiting the | 4,556† | 4,815† | 5,007† | 5,059† |
| presentation of a petition | 41 | 59 | 61 | 79 |
| Still under consideration | 9 | 18 | 8 | 14 |
| Total remaining on active list | 4,839‡ | 5,126‡ | 5,304‡ | 5,382‡ |
| Grand Total | 30,931 | 31,818 | 32,678 | 33,567 |
† In addition to the cases under supervision, persons known to the local authority to be mentally defective but not
subject to be dealt with, were visited on a voluntary basis, as follows:—1952, 1,040; 1953, 1,055; 1954, 986;
1955, 1,189.
‡ Of these the following were awaiting institutional care : 1952, 169 ; 1953, 199: 1954, 205 ; 1955, 229.
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