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Liaison with Hospitals
As will be seen from the above figures, over a third of the
permanent admissions to the department's old people's homes
during 1967 came direct from hospitals. These were sometimes
people who had not been on the waiting list as long as others
admitted straight from their own homes, but the policy of the
department was to help hospitals discharge patients who might
otherwise occupy beds urgently needed for acutely ill patients. In
return, the department asked hospitals to take residents from
their old people's homes who needed hospital treatment or care
as these needs arose and without waiting for the department to
create a vacancy in exchange. This exchange system still operates
in many parts of the country, but at last it seems that Havering
has been able to move away from it on the basis of mutual trust
and goodwill between hospital and Local Authority. In spite
of this, the shortage of available psychiatric beds for old people
still presented considerable problems throughout the year, some
residents of homes having to wait many months before a transfer
for psychiatric treatment became available.
Waiting List
At the end of 1967, 128 Havering residents were waiting
for places in the department's old people's homes, and 19 more
people resident in other areas wanting to be admitted to Havering
old people's homes. A new home, The Grange, with 61 beds, had
been opened toward the end of 1966, and was still taking new
residents for the first few weeks of 1967. The number of permanent
admissions during 1967 therefore, 89, was rather larger than is
to be anticipated in a normal year when no new home is opened.
New Old People's Homes
Planning of a new old people's home in Clockhouse Lane,
Collier Row, reached an advanced state of development but
construction had to be postponed because of the difficult financial
position.
The Williams Committee Report
The Committee of Enquiry set up by the National Council
of Social Services on Staffing in Residential Homes (under the
chairmanship of Lady Williams) published their report during
1967 under the title "Caring for People". It made many recommendations
covering conditions of work, recruitment and a career
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