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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
A comprehensive review of the Mental Health Services appeared as a part of a special
feature in my last annual report.
Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts
The following statistical tables relate to persons alleged to be suffering from mental
illness referred to the Council's mental welfare officers.
Care and
treatment for
the mentally
ill
Table (i) Persons referred in the year
| Once | 5,005 | 4,755 |
| Twice | 721 | |
| Three times | 169 | 166 |
| Four times | 46 | 43 |
| Five or more times | 27 | 26 |
| Total | 6,044 | 5,711* |
| Number of separate investigations | 7,439 | 7,016 |
*453 of these persons were first referred to mental welfare officers in 1957, 279 in 1956 and 961 in earlier years: thus
4,018 were new cases in 1958.
Table (ii) Referring agency
The total includes 397 persons normally resident outside the County but some two-thirds of these were in hospital in London at the time of referral.
| General practitioner | 3,261 | 43.8 | 3,227 | 46.0 |
| Psychiatrist* | 841 | 11.3 | 609 | 8.7 |
| Hospital ward | 704 | 9.5 | 712 | 10.1 |
| Hospital casualty department | 680 | 9.1 | 605 | 8.6 |
| Non-medical | 1,953 | 26.3 | 1,863 | 26.6 |
| 7,439 | 100.0 | 7,016 | 100.0 |
Table (iii) Initial action
| None possible or necessary | 1,691 | 22.7 | 1,547 | 22.0 |
| Referred for continued care*(other than at mental hospital) | 63 | 0.8 | 51 | 0.7 |
| Admitted to mental hospital— | ||||
| 235 | 3.2 | 286 | 4.1 | |
| 41 | 0.6 | 69 | 1.0 | |
| 51 | 0.8 | 68 | 1.0 | |
| Referred to psychiatrist | 138 | 1.9 | 193† | 2.8 |
| Removed to observation ward | 3,924 | 52.6 | 3,738 | 53.2 |
| Referred to Justice of the Peace other than at observation ward | 1,296 | 17.4 | 1,064 | 15.2 |
| 7,439 | 100.0 | 7,016 | 100.0 | |
*Referral to welfare department, sanitary authority, psychiatric social worker, back to general practitioner for possible
help on general medical grounds, etc.
† 122 were later admitted to mental hospital but only 4 were certified (Sections 14/16); 13 others were treated at outpatient
clinics.
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