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Community Care — Mental Health Services
Mr. J.Horak, Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, has supplied
the following report.
The importance of making psychiatric and social care easily
available to the mentally handicapped and to those suffering
from mental illness and emotional stress, cannot be overemphasised.
In accordance with the Mental Health Act, 1959
further extension of services has been achieved and admissions
to Hospital on an informal basis rather than under order have
steadily increased. Also, there has been an appreciable increase
in after-care referrals from the Hospitals serving the Borough,
i.e. from Warley Hospital and the Ingrebourne Centre at St.George's
Hospital.
(a) Links with Warley Hospital
Followingthe revision of liaison and after-care arrangements
between the Hospital and the Community Care Services, one
mental health social worker visits the Hospital regularly twice
a week in order to collect after-care referrals as well as to
discuss special follow-up problems with the medical and social
work staff. With the increased volume of referrals, informal
meetings and discussions with the medical and nursing staff
have been more frequent and have lead to better understanding as
well as better services to the clients. Two mental health social
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