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have been rehoused outside the division as part of the process of rehabilitation and one
left London of its own volition. One family was sent to a residential rehabilitation centre.
Children at risk—The register instituted in 1959 of children regarded as being specially at
risk, because of circumstances at birth or later, continued to be kept and to provide a
valuable indication of the need for supervision or treatment.
Menial health—A meeting of general practitioners, social workers and hospital and
divisional staff was held in October at Parsons Green welfare centre, with the twofold
purpose of publicising the facilities available for the Council's activities for the mentally
ill, as a part of World Mental Health Year, and to acquaint them with the arrangements
that would follow the operation of the Mental Health Act, 1959 and decentralisation of
the Council's mental health services. The Chairman of the Divisional Health Committee
presided and introduced the speakers—the physician superintendent of one of the
psychiatric hospitals serving the division, the Council's principal medical officer for the
services for the mentally sub.normal, the principal mental welfare officer and the divisional
mental welfare officer. Their talks covered the whole range of the services for the mentally
ill and the mentally sub.normal and were followed by a lively discussion. Representatives
of the general practitioners expressed appreciation for the opportunity afforded of discussing
problems arising from the implementation of the new Act.
A number of other activities in connection with World Mental Health Year took place
in the division. As part of his programme for World Mental Health Week the Minister of
Health, the Rt. Hon. Derek Walker.Smith, visited the recently completed Kensington
training centre, Wallingford Avenue; open days for parents and others interested, which
were widely publicised and well attended, were held at this and other centres in the
division.
The psychiatric hospitals whose catchment areas cover this division have been visited
and a good relationship has been established between the hospital and divisional staffs.
Chiropody—An additional twenty sessions for the benefit of the priority classes, i.e. the
elderly, the physically handicapped and expectant mothers, were allocated to the division
during the year as part of the Council's interim extension of the chiropody service. This
enabled two new clinics to be established at Westway, W.12 and Bagleys Lane, S.W.6.
The total number of sessions available in the Council's foot clinics at the end of the year
was 87 a week.
Health education—The divisional team continued to meet and suggest subjects for action
and to advise on methods of putting them over to the public. A very full programme was
undertaken but special attention was given to the risks occasioned by the misuse of oil
heaters and to mental health education.
Oil heaters are widely used in homes in the division and divisional staff took every
opportunity of emphasising the importance of their proper use. To reinforce their efforts,
two warning leaflets issued by the Council, one early in the year, the other in the autumn,
were given a very wide distribution. Arrangements were made with Dr. C. W. Kesson,
consultant paediatrician at St. George's hospital, for him to give a series of three talks
to health visitors which began in October, and a talk to medical officers in November.
Staff of the division continue to promote and take part in a large number of activities.
A development which is worthy of record arose out of the participation of the divisional
nursing officer in a brains trust at a secondary modern school for boys. The subject was
the responsibility of citizenship, and in the discussion she gave an account of the day
nurseries and problems connected with running them. This resulted in an offer by the boys
to keep in good order the toys used in a neighbouring day nursery. At the end of the year
this arrangement had been in operation for some months and the toys were being maintained
in excellent condition.
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