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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Applications with a view to removal to hospital of mentally ill persons—Mental welfare
officers received 5,750 applications for visits to persons alleged to be suffering from mental
illness, with a view to arranging admission to hospital. The applications concerned 4,839
persons, 581 being referred on two occasions and 145 on three or more occasions; 58 per
cent. of the applications related to females and 42 per cent. to males. These numbers show
a reduction of 1,130 applications (739 individuals) compared with 1959. Table (ii) gives
details of the initial action taken on these applications and also the final disposal. No
further action was found to be necessary in 21.9 per cent. of all cases investigated, compared
with 23 per cent, in 1959.
T able (ii)
| Initial action | Final disposal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | |
| Informal admission | 899 | 15.6 | 2,306 | 40.1 |
| Compulsory admission: For observation (sec.25) | 903 | 15.7 | - | |
| Emergency admission for observation (sec. 29) | 1,841 | 31.9 | - | - |
| For treatment (sec. 26) | 116 | 2.0 | 497 | 8.6 |
| By police (sec. 136) | 232 | 4.0 | - | - |
| Court order | 147 | 2.6 | 156 | 2.7 |
| Absent from hospital without leave (sec. 40) | 3 | 0.1 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Psychiatric out-patient clinic or day hospital | 170 | 3.0 | 170 | 3.0 |
| General ward for physical care | 43 | 0.8 | 66 | 1.2 |
| Community care from general practitioner, Welfare dept., etc | 109 | 1.9 | 110 | 1.9 |
| No further action | 1,258 | 21.9 | 2,285* | 39.7 |
| Other action | 29 | 0.5 | 29 | 0.5 |
| Not known | - | - | 126 | 2.2 |
| 5,750 | 100.0 | 5,750 | 100.0 | |
* Includes 933 discharged after a period of observation, 68 deaths and 25 withdrawn or absconded.
Admission to hospital of mentally ill persons—Arising from the applications referred to
in the preceding section, 4,141 mentally ill persons (71.9 per cent. of the total number
referred) were admitted to hospital. Table (ii) analyses the numbers of patients removed
compulsorily to hospital under the various sections of the Mental Health Act, 1959 and
shows the number of formal admissions.
The proportion of compulsory removals for observation (the majority) or for treatment
was high and much use was made of sec. 29 of the Mental Health Act. A further analysis
in table (iii) shows the position for the two age groups—under 65 years and 65 years
and over.
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