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There are 21 hospitals which admit subnormal and severely subnormal persons from the
county area; two in London and 19 out-county. The Council continues to act as the normal
channel for applications for admission to these hospitals, to assist in the assessment of
priorities and in the provision of medical and social reports. Such patients are normally
received in hospital on an informal basis.
Difficulties persisted throughout the year in obtaining beds, particularly for children.
The position was aggravated by the closing in July of the Fountain hospital to all children
except those living within the area of the South West Metropolitan regional hospital board,
although the hospital continued to accept children from other regions of London for
short term care.
During the year 234 subnormal or severely subnormal patients were admitted to hospital
and at the end of the year 148 children under 16 and 47 patients over this age were
awaiting admission, of whom 34 were regarded as being in urgent need. The comparative
numbers of patients awaiting admission at the end of 1959 were 193 children under 16 and
50 patients over 16, of whom 87 were in urgent need.
Informal admission to hospital—Hospital care under the Mental Health Act, 1959 is
now available to all mentally disordered persons who are willing to receive it, with no
more restriction of liberty or legal formality than applies to persons who need such care
because of other types of illness or disability. Patients can be admitted to hospital informally
providing they are not unwilling and can be treated suitably without powers of detention.
The Council's mental welfare officers are not, of course, concerned with the large majority
of informal admissions of mentally ill persons to psychiatric hospitals, but in 1961 about
one-fifth of all removals of such patients dealt with by mental welfare officers were arranged
informally.
Compulsory admissions to hospital—The Act embodies a new code for compulsory
admission to hospital of mentally disordered patients; it makes provision for applying
compulsion only in the case of such patients who cannot be persuaded to enter hospital
voluntarily but for whom hospital care is essential. It is necessary for an application for
compulsory admission to hospital under the provisions of section 25 (admission for
observation) or section 26 (admission for treatment) to be completed by a mental welfare
officer or the nearest relative supported by two medical recommendations. In the case of
an emergency admission under section 29, a mental welfare officer or any relative may make
the application and only one medical recommendation (made if practicable by a practitioner
who has previous acquaintance with the patient) is required in the first instance.
During 1961, 903 persons were admitted to hospital for observation under section 25,
116 for treatment under section 26 and 1,841 were the subject of emergency admissions
for observation under section 29.
The police alone retain the power to remove to a place of safety without a medical
certificate any person who appears to be mentally disordered and in immediate need of
care or control in a place to which the public have access. Such a person may be detained
for not more than 72 hours for the purpose of enabling him to be examined by a medical
practitioner and to be seen by a mental welfare officer and of making any necessary arrangements
for treatment or care. During 1961 mental welfare officers were concerned in the
compulsory removal to hospital of 232 such cases.
Power is given to the Courts to make orders for the compulsory admission to hospital
or guardianship in respect of certain offenders or children or young persons found to be
in need of care or protection or beyond control; provided that the court is satisfied, on the
evidence of two doctors, that the offender or child or young person is suffering from mental
disorder of a nature or degree which warrants his detention in hospital for medical treatment
or his reception into guardianship and that in the circumstances the making of such
an order is the most suitable method of disposing of the case. The Council's central medical
staff are concerned in the examination and submission of evidence in relation to such
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