London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Ealing 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]

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centre would include therapeutic activities as well as the usual ones found in any
other club.
HOSTELS
There is at present no hostel in the Borough but provision has been made for this
in the ten year plan. There are at present 29 Ealing patients in hostels outside the
Borough.
In some instances the ability of a mentally ill person to live in the community
can be maintained and his admission or re-admission to hospital avoided, if a suitable
alternative to unsatisfactory home environment or living conditions can be offered.
Accommodation in a hostel or similar sheltered environment is also valuable where
a discharged patient still needs supervision and help before returning completely to
ordinary life. Again, where a mentally ill person is living at home, it can ease the
tensions of the family and be beneficial both for him and for his relatives if he can
be accommodated away from home temporarily.
VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS
Voluntary associations in the Borough play an important part in the rehabilitation
of the mentally ill. The Industrial Therapy Organisation (Thames) Limited, whose
factory is situated in Elthorne Park Road, Hanwell, trains suitable ex-hospital
patients for work in factory conditions. A small wage is paid to the trainees, and
they are helped financially by the National Assistance Board until such time as
permanent placement, if possible, can be obtained for them in open industry.
During the year, the Ealing Association for Mental Health has been active in
many ways. These have included running a weekly bus service to Springfield
Hospital to facilitate the visiting of patients by their relatives, and in organizing
shopping expeditions for in-patients. Premises have been acquired, which it is
hoped to use as a hostel for up to six women who have recently been discharged
from hospital and are not yet ready to re-settle fully into the community.
Homes administered by the Mental After-Care Association have been of value
in placing patients who require a measure of residential care.
HOSPITALS
Patients from Ealing may be admitted to three psychiatric hospitals. These are:—
Shenley Hospital, St. Albans Acton area
Springfield Hospital, Upper Tooting Ealing area
St. Bernard's Hospital, Southall Southall area
In addition, Central Middlesex Hospital and West Middlesex Hospital have small
psychiatric units to which patients may be admitted for short periods for observation
and treatment.
It will be seen that there is much to be done before one can be satisfied with the
services in the Borough for the mentally handicapped and the mentally ill. The
areas, however, are favourable. A pattern of co-operation with the local hospitals
is rapidly being built up. However, working in collaboration with three main
psychiatric hospitals, two of which are well outside the Borough boundary, is not
ideal. It is hoped that the many problems arising out of a reorganization of these
hospital catchment areas will be resolved and that the one hospital within the Borough
will be able to provide all necessary services.
Ealing is fortunate in its voluntary organizations concerned with Mental Health,
and finally I feel the Council is most sympathetic to this branch of its services.
Statistical information relating to the work of the Mental Health Service is
contained in Tables 4, 5 and 6.
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