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Hostels
At present the Borough has no hostel for the mentally ill but 23 patients are
living either in other local authorities hostels or those run by various voluntary
organisations.
Hospitals
Ealing is served by three psychiatric hospitals. These are:-
Springfield Hospital, Upper Tooting - Ealing area
Shenley Hospital, St. Albans - Acton area
St. Bernard's Hospital, Southall - Southall area
In addition, Central Middlesex and West Middlesex Hospitals have small
psychiatric units to which patients can be admitted for observation or short term
treatment. It is to be hoped that in the future reorganisation of the hospital catchment
areas can be arranged toeliminatethe use of hospitals which are some distance
outside the Borough boundaries.
Voluntary Associations
The Ealing Association for Mental Health has continued to be active. It runs
a weekly bus service to Springfield Hospital to facilitate the visiting of patients and
it organises shopping expeditions for in-patients. During the Mental Health Week in
June the Association arranged for displays of work by patients to be shown in clinici
and other Council establishments.
MENTAL SUBNORMALITY
Subnormal patients are referred to the department through many agencies.
Some are ascertained uhder Section 57 of the Education Act as being unable to
benefit by education in school, whilst others are referred on leaving a school for
educationally subnormal children if they are in need of supervision. Others are
notified to the mental health section by health visitors, general practitioners or
hospitals. All new cases are seen by a Principal Medical Officer and a recommendation
made as to the best way of caring for them. Supporting visits are then made
by mental health social workers and two clinics are held monthly for parents who
need help and advice. The Principal Medical Officer also holds discussion groups
for parents of mentally handicapped children and arrangements have been made
through the Kennedy Galton Centre at Harperbury Hospital for certain parents to be
given genetic counselling. Small numbers of very young mentally handicapped
children now attend play groups or are admitted to day nurseries. This greatly
assists parents and relieves much of the strain in caring for a handicapped child
during the day. In addition, the presence of a mentally handicapped child in a group
of normal children leads to better mutal understanding. It is proposed to investigate
to what extent these numbers can be increased without throwing an undue strain on
the staff.
Junior Training Schools
There are at present no junior training schools in the Borough and arrangements
are made for children to be placed in schools belonging to neighbouring local
authorities as follows:
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