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Staff
The Council appointed a health education organiser to assist the professional
and technical officers by gathering, arranging and presenting publicity material and
showing films.
(Statistical Tables, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23—see pages 112, 119, 120, 121).
MENTAL HEALTH
It is the duty of a local health authority to provide mental health services
under the Mental Health Act, 1959, and subject to the provisions of Section 28 of
the National Health Service Act, 1946.
The change of emphasis from hospital to community care introduced by the
Mental Health Act, 1959, has continued and is now well advanced. The amount
of mental illness, not only in this country, but throughout the world, is increasing
year by year. These factors account for the volume of work of the community
mental health service and underline the importance of it.
Staff
It was only by the end of the year that a full establishment of mental welfare
officers, three of whom are qualified psychiatric social workers, consisting of a principal,
his deputy, two senior and seven officers, was accomplished. Dr. D. A. Smyth,
originally appointed principal medical officer for the mental health services, resigned
at the end of the year.
Dr. W. Livingston, Consultant Pyschiatrist, South Ockenden Hospital, and Dr.
F. D. Kelsey, Consultant Psychiatrist, Claybury Hospital, accepted the appointments
of part-time adviser in subnormality and part-time adviser in mental illness,
respectively, by arrangement with the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board.
The hope that these latter appointments would result in a close liaison between
the hospital and the local health authority services has been fully realised.
MENTAL ILLNESS
The London Borough of Enfield is within the catchment area of Claybury and
Friern Hospitals which admit patients requiring hospital treatment for mental
disorder. The North Middlesex Hospital also provides psychiatric beds to which
suitable patients can be admitted for short periods for medical observation and
treatment.
Out-patient clinics are held at the North Middlesex, Chase Farm, Highlands
and the War Memorial Hospitals.
The Council provide a twenty-four hour, seven days a week, mental health
community service.
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