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In the wider field talks have been given to the mental health students at the London School
of Economics; to students at the Royal College of Nursing; at the course for training centre
teachers and regularly at the nurses school of the Maudsley Hospital. During the year
officers have met various interested visitors from abroad to explain and discuss with them
the Council's mental health service.
It can be said that the educational role of the mental welfare worker is an important one
in view of the need to promote a greater understanding and acceptance of mental disorder;
this is fully appreciated by the mental welfare staff.
Statistics
Statistical tables detailing the work of the mental health services during 1961 are set out
below. Various salient features of this work are discussed and certain comparisons made
with 1959 (the last complete year before the operation of the Mental Health Act, 1959).
Total number of referrals—The total number of mentally disordered persons referred to
the mental health social workers during 1961 was 8,258, of which 7,158 were referred as
'mentally ill' and 1,100 as 'subnormal' or 'severely subnormal'. In 1959, persons so
referred numbered 8,110, including 7,241 'mentally ill' and 869 'subnormal' or 'severely
subnormal
Sources of referrals—Table (i) gives a detailed analysis of the sources of referrals in
relation to (a) mentally ill persons (other than those specifically referred for community
care), (b) mentally ill patients referred specifically for community care and (c) mentally
subnormal and severely subnormal patients. About 40 per cent. of the referrals under (a)
were received from general practitioners, 12.9 per cent. from police or courts, 14.8 per cent.
from psychiatric sources (compared with 8-9 per cent, in 1959). The proportion of such
referrals from hospital wards and casualty departments without prior referral to psychiatrists
fell from 19 per cent, in 1959 to 10-8 per cent, in 1961. Of mentally ill patients referred
specifically for community care about one third were referred from hospitals, one fourth
from other Council services and one tenth from general practitioners.

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