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 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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of the cost of attendance of London patients at the centre and at the social clubs run by
this Institute.
National
Association
for Mental
Health
A grant of £,200 was again 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.
Long term
care
114 chronic and senile psychiatric patients were maintained by the Council during
the year, 111 at homes owned or sponsored by the Mental After-Care Association, two
at Parnham House, run by the National Association for Mental Health, and one at a
hostel run by the Jewish Board of Guardians.
Recuperative
holidays
128 persons recovering from mild psychiatric illness were granted recuperative
holidays for periods of two or three weeks in general recuperative hohday homes ;
63 who had more serious breakdowns were sent for similar periods to homes sponsored
by the Mental After-Care Association and 21 were accommodated for periods up to
12 weeks at the Mental After-Care Association homes at Dartford, Kent, and Cheam,
Surrey, which provide specially for the rehabilitation of younger patients capable of
work. The total of 212 compares with 196 in 1955.
Statistics
Mental Deficiency Acts
The following table shows the sources from which cases were brought to notice under the Mental Deficiency Acts and the action taken thereon :
| Sources of information | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | Totals from 1.4.14 to 31.12.56 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision section | 9 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 1,617 |
| Local education authority | 533 | 502 | 501 | 490 | 17,579 |
| Police authority (section 8) | 24 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 2,044 |
| Transfers from prison (section 9) | — | — | 1 | 2 | 232 |
| Transfers from approved school (section 9) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 574 |
| From hospitals and institutions | 97 | 91 | 99 | 71 | 872 |
| Miscellaneous | 222 | 229 | 261 | 225 | 11,459 |
| Total | 887 | 860 | 889 | 810 | 34,377 |
The position at 31st December, 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:
| 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detained in institutions | 7,842* | 7,799* | 7,762* | 7,549* |
| Discharged from institutional care | 3,235 | 3,428 | 3,624 | 4,006 |
| Removed to mental hospitals | 572 | 592 | 596 | 610 |
| Not subject for action | 10,190 | 10,549 | 11,045 | 11,585 |
| Died | 4,853 | 5,006 | 5,158 | 5,306 |
| Total removed from active list | 26,692 | 27,374 | 28,185 | 29,056 |
* This figure includes patients on licence who were visited at regular intervals by officers of the Council on behalf of the regional hospital boards as follows: 1953, 236; 1954, 247; 1955, 212; 1956, 122.
| Under guardianship | 223 | 217 | 224 | 217 |
| In places of safety awaiting the presentation of a petition | 11 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| Under supervision | 4,815† | 5,007 † | 5,059t | 5,0321† |
| In hospitals, residential nurseries, etc., awaiting the presentation of a petition | 59 | 61 | 79 | 46 |
| Still under consideration | 18 | 8 | 14 | 25 |
| Total remaining on active list | 5,126‡ | 5,304‡ | 5,382‡ | 5,321‡ |
| Grand Total | 31,818 | 32,678 | 33,567 | 34,377 |
† In addition to those 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:—1953, 1,055; 1954, 986; 1955, 1,189; 1956, 1,329.
‡ Of these the following were awaiting institutional care: 1953, 199; 1954, 205; 1955, 229; 1956, 186.
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