View report page

Ministry of Housing and Local Government:
The Clean Air Act 1956; Gypsies; Turistiles in Public Conveniences;
Caravan Parks; Houses in Multiple Occupation - Improvement of Houses.
Home Office;
Pharmacy and Poisons Act 1933; Oil Heaters Regulations 1962.
General Register Office;
Infectious and Other Notifiable Diseases (Weekly and Quarterly
Returns); Transfer of Births, Deaths and Still-Births; Vital
Statistics - Annual Reports of Medical Officers of Health.
PSYCHO-GERIATRIC SERVICE - ST.CLEMENT'S HOSPITAL
The catchment area for the psycho-geriatric services provided at
St.Clement's Hospital comprises the boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar
and Stepney. The Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr.W.M.Ford Robertson, at
the Psycho-Geriatric.Day Hospital and Dundee Ward in St.Clement's
Hospital, reports:-
"As the Day Hospital and Dundee Ward have now evolved as one integrated
unit it has seeded appropriate to summarise the results of inpatient
care. There was a turnover of about two patients a week in this
22-bedded ward, the average length of stay being 11,5 weeks. During
the year the Day Hospital with 24 places had a total of 5,391 attendances
- 4,161 females and 1,230 males. The principal diagnostic categories
were. - in order of frequency - depressive illness, confusional states,
paranoid states and dementia. Practically all those discharged home
or to hostels (almost three-quarters of the discharges) were improved.
Arrangements were made for many discharged from the ward to attend the
Day Hospital, with which they had become familiar through visits during
their stay. , Delays of several months, however, were almost invariably
experienced before transfer of patients to Long Grove or Part III accommodation
could be effected. Most of such patients were found after
admission to be demented and unfit to return home. The demand, for beds
from the community remains considerable.
"During our second year, the capacity of the Day Hospital has been
seen in clearer perspective both in its potential and in its limitations.
This is, we believe, the result of increased clinical experience, and
also better co-operation and understanding from all those in the
community whose interest lies in the aged and mentally.ill. There has
been no lack of candidates to fill the 24 places with the result that
patients have been better selected, which is partly reflected in the
increased proportion and imoroved mental state of patients eventually
discharged in 1962. Referrals by psychiatrists have been confined to
those with undoubted mental illness. Patients from all other sources
have been assessed at our Out-Patients Department prior to acceptance.
22