View report page

50
Every effort is made to integrate the local health authority and hospital
services and close liaison is maintained with both them and the patients'
general practitioners. The mental welfare officers attend meetings regularly
at Shenley Hospital and the Principal Medical Officer for Mental Health
serves on the Medical Advisory Committee of Leavesden Hospital.
As both these hospitals are situated some distance from the Borough's
boundary and, as no out-patient facilities were available in Harrow, in
June 1965, approval was given to the North West Regional Hospital
Board being offered facilities at one of the Borough's clinics at a nominal
rent so that an Out-Patients Department in association with Harrow
Hospital could be held within the Borough. As a result, such a clinic is
now held every Thursday afternoon at the Caryl Thomas Clinic, Headstone
Drive, the first session of which was held on 2nd December 1965.
Close liaison is maintained with the general practitioners in the area
and social work agencies, e.g. National Assistance Board, Ministry of
Labour, Children's and Welfare Departments, Child Guidance Clinic and
voluntary organisations.
Patients are referred to the Mental Health Service from all sources, e.g.
general practitioner, hospitals, general public, courts, police and other
social work agencies.
The field work in pre-care and after-care of persons requiring help
in the Borough is carried out by a Principal Medical Officer, Chief Mental
Welfare Officer, Psychiatric Social Worker and a team of mental welfare
officers. Their work includes domiciliary visiting of patients who need
not necessarily ever have been in a psychiatric hospital, but whose needs
can be met by the service without recourse to hospital admission.
Under the former Middlesex County Council, mental welfare officers
'on call' out of office hours were contacted in cases of emergency through
the Ambulance Control Headquarters, Kenton. With the transfer of the
Ambulance Service to the Greater London Council, this Authority decided
to discontinue this facility and alternative means for emergency calls had
to be found. An approach was made to the Harefield & Northwood
Hospital Management Committee and as a result, such calls are now
channelled through the duty telephonist at Harrow Hospital. This arrangement
is working satisfactorily.
The Borough also maintains a twenty-seven place hostel for the
mentally ill, a hundred-and-four place junior training school and a ninety
place day centre for the elderly mentally infirm.
Community Care—Mental Illness
The number of patients actually under care on 31st December 1965
was 194—see Table 'I'. Table 'II' gives details of the number of cases
dealt with by the social workers from 1st April to 31st December 1965.