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 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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106
Thus, 60 per cent. derived benefit from attendance, although 2/5ths of these were not
strictly undergoing rehabilitation. It is unfortunate that the long-term patients have to
be treated in association with those who are recoverable.
In addition, the Council gives financial assistance towards the cost of two psychotherapeutic
social clubs run by two mental hospitals for patients in their catchment
areas and makes an annual grant of £200 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.
Analysis of investigations by mental welfare officers
Dr. J. Alan Herd, the Council's consultant in mental health, reports :
It was stated in the Annual Report for 1956 that a new system of recording had been
devised to provide additional information about cases referred to mental welfare officers.
The idea behind the new system was that it would provide information, as a basis for
the conscious development of the service in the interests of the patients, about
(a) the extent to which the various possible types of initial action were
used ;
(b) the relationship of the status of the case at closure with the type of
initial action ;
(c) the relative advantages and disadvantages of certain procedures ;
(d) current trends.
Tables setting out the salient features of the data recorded for 1957 together with
comments thereon, and, in some instances, comparable figures for 1956, are set out in
succeeding paragraphs.
Number of
investigations
and sources
of referral
The number of persons referred to the mental welfare officers during the year, classified according to the number of times they were referred, together with the number of separate investigations is shown in the following table :
| Persons referred in the year | 1956 | 1957 |
|---|---|---|
* 857 of these were also investigated in 1956 and yet another 814 were known to the mental welfare officers in earlier
years.
† In addition there were 17 out-county cases.
As may be seen from the comparative figures set out below of the sources of referral of cases, the slight reduction in numbers between 1956 and 1957 is largely attributable to a decline in the numbers referred from hospital wards.
| Source | 1956 | 1957 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | |
* These numbers exclude cases referred to a psychiatrist, with the consent of the general practitioner, by the mental
welfare officer after seeing the patient and before taking action.
Initial action
The following table shows the extent to which the mental welfare officers used the
various forms of initial action open to them :