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Mental health—This year has been a period of consolidation with some progress in the
field of community care. Closer contact has been established with many general practitioners
and with the hospitals but shortages and fairly frequent changes of staff have
imposed limitations. Day accommodation is provided at four training centres and at the
unit for severely sub-normal infants at Grove House day nursery, Fulham. An average of
five children attended this unit daily and they showed considerable all-round improvement.
It is very gratifying to see the way those attending the training centres respond. Activities
at College Park centre for older girls have been extended to laundry work, which has
proved very popular. Both the girls and their parents appreciate the fact that the girls are
following useful occupations for which they receive some financial reward.
Throughout the year the part-time services of an occupational therapist, already employed
with tuberculous patients, were made available for giving occupation and instruction
to mentally ill persons in their own homes. Two or three patients at a time receive the
service, but the field is obviously limited and the scheme may be regarded as still in an
experimental stage.
Prevention of break-up of families—Divisional co-ordinating committee meetings and
intermediate case conferences have been held regularly throughout the year. Cases have
been referred by general practitioners, probation officers and almoners, as well as from
Council departments. Full co-operation has been received from bodies outside the Council,
especially from the National Assistance Board and borough council housing departments,
who refer families with children who are in arrears of rent. The continued cooperation
of the N.S.P.C.C. is greatly appreciated.
Liaison with other bodies—Regular meetings were held with the medical officers of
health of the metropolitan boroughs in the division. The Council continued to be represented
on the local maternity liaison committee of the Chelsea and Kensington hospital
management committee. Professor McClure Browne of the obstetrics and gynaecology
departments at Hammersmith hospital held a meeting for doctors doing ante-natal work
for the Council and Dr. C. W. Kesson, consultant paediatrician at the Victoria Hospital
for Children, arranged talks for health visitors and for medical officers. A discussion group
led by Dr. Felix Brown, Medical Director of the Earls Court child guidance unit, continued
to be well attended by child welfare doctors and health visitors.
A meeting of hospital almoners, superintendents of district nursing associations and
representatives of other local voluntary bodies with divisional staff was held to focus
attention on the services the Council provides. Topics discussed included services available
to prevent the reception of children into care, the mental health community care services
and facilities for invalid meals.
Two meetings were held in Fulham and in North Kensington to acquaint general
practitioner obstetricians in the area with the offer by the Council to provide facilities and
premises, without charge, for them to see their own booked patients and by agreement
those of other general practitioners.
DIVISION 2, comprising the boroughs of Hampstead, Paddington, St. Marylebone,
St. Pancras and the City of Westminster
Dr. H. L. Oldershaw reports:
Maternity and child welfare—The number of women receiving ante-natal care at the
Council's clinics shows a steady increase, despite the fact that more general practitioner
obstetricians are providing care for expectant mothers in their surgeries. The three evening
ante-natal sessions for expectant mothers at work were again well attended.
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