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56
Various voluntary bodies were invited to send representatives
to a meeting held at Hanover House on Thursday, 8th June, 1967 to
discuss the setting up of a Harrow Association for Mental Health
to be affiliated to the National Association for Mental Health. As
a result of this meeting the Association was officially launched at the
Victoria Hall, Sheepcote Road, Harrow, on Tuesday evening 28th
November, 1967.
Posters and leaflets detailing the programme of events for the week
were distributed throughout the Borough and as last year, the local press
gave excellent coverage.
The week as a whole was most successful and this was largely due to
the co-operation received from the voluntary bodies and Leavesden and
Shenley Hospitals.
Community Care—Mental Illness
The number of patients actually under care at 31st December, 1967,
was 580—see table I. Of these, 9 (5 men and 4 women) were addicted to
drugs, and 14 (11 men and 3 women) were alcoholics. Table III gives
details of the number of cases dealt with by the social workers during the
year. Table IV gives details of cases referred during the year. These figures
do not include those patients who were admitted to hospital informally
and where the general practitioners had made the necessary arrangements
direct with the hospital.
The field work in preventative care and after care of persons requiring
help in the Borough continues to be carried out by a Principal Medical
Officer, Chief Mental Welfare Officer, a Psychiatric Social Worker and a
team of Mental Welfare Officers. The cases referred come from various
sources and many patients can be helped by domiciliary counselling,
without hospital admission being necessary. The mental welfare officers
are required to carry out certain statutory duties under the Mental Health
Act, 1959, and in addition they arrange informal admissions to hospital
when necessary. At all times a close liaison is maintained with the staff of
Shenley Psychiatric Hospital, general practitioners and all other social
work agencies. It is frequently found that supportive visits from a mental
welfare officer to patients discharged from a psychiatric hospital give
much help with their re-adjustment to life in the community. In many
cases sympathetic assistance given in time can prevent a patient from
having to enter hospital at all. Arrangements are also made for patients
to be cared for on a short term basis in order to give families some respite,
or to enable them to have a holiday. These temporary placements are
arranged either in hospital, Part III accommodation or in voluntary
homes.