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 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Guardianship—Four persons were admitted to the guardianship of the Council during
the year and at the end of 1962 the total number in the guardianship of the Council was 39.
Samaritan service—The Council made a grant, subject to review by 1964, to the Camberwell
Samaritans towards the cost of employing a psychiatric social worker to organise the
Samaritans' social work and help with the social training of a corps of 'befrienders' for
persons faced with social problems.
Staff training
Two mental welfare officers were accepted for the Mental Health course, two for the
two-year 'Younghusband' course and two for the one-year course at the Institute for
Social Work Training. These six officers were seconded on salary. One deputy divisional
mental welfare officer returned during the year after successfully completing the Mental
Health course. A number of students from these courses spend varying periods with the
divisional mental health teams as part of their practical work training.
Seminars for mental welfare officers were arranged by the medical staff of St. Clement's
hospital and several of the Council's staff were able to attend. By the end of the year a close
link for staff training purposes had developed between division 7 and the Maudsley
hospital.
The majority of mental welfare officers have voluntarily attended one or more relevant
conferences, lectures and/or part-time courses during the year.
Statistics
Statistical tables dealing with the work of the mental health service during 1962 are set
out below with comparative figures for 1961 in italics.
Table (i)—
| Mentally ill | Subnormal and severely subnormal | Total 1962 | Total 1961 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With a view to hospital admission | Community care | |||||||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| Psychiatric hospital or ward | 589 | 9.4 | 812 | 37.5 | ||||||
| Psychiatrist at general ward | 328 | 5.2 | 28 | 1.3 | 149 | 11.1 | 2,558 | 26.2 | ||
| Non-psychiatric referrals from hospitals | 576 | 9.2 | 76 | 3.5 | ||||||
| Psychiatric out-patient clinic or day hospital | 221 | 3.5 | 118 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 401 | 4.1 | |||
| Non-psychiatric hospital outpatient | ||||||||||
| General practitioner | 2,393 | 380 | 169 | 7.8 | 19 | 1.4 | 2,581 | 26.3 | ||
| Police or court | 670 | 10.7 | 13 | 0.6 | 23 | 1.7 | 706 | 7.2 | ||
| Patient or relative | 450 | 7.2 | 235 | 10.8 | 93 | 6.9 | 778 | 7.9 | ||
| Landlord or neighbour | 267 | 4.2 | 267 | 2.7 | ||||||
| Education officer | 796 | 12.6 | 168 | 7.8 | 678 | 50.5 | 2,510 | 25.6 | ||
| Health visitor | 65 | 30 | 67 | 5.0 | ||||||
| National Assistance Board | 63 | 2.9 | 252 | 18.8 | ||||||
| Miscellaneous | 421* | 19.4) | ||||||||
| Total 1962 | 6,290 | 100.0 | 2,168 | 1000 | 1,343 | 100.0 | 9,801 | 100.0 | ||