London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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Dr. James Hood, Consultant Psychiatrist, North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, to Harrow Child Guidance Clinic, reports and comments as follows.
| Number of New Cases | 88* |
| Source of Referral: | 9 |
| 31 | |
| 16 | |
| 4 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 14 | |
| 4 | |
| 1 | |
| Presenting Symptoms: | 23 |
| 38 | |
| (c) Psychosomatic Disorders (Asthma) | 4 |
| (d) Habit Disorders (Enuresis, soiling, speech difficulties, sleeping difficulties, eating difficulties, masturbation) | 10 |
| (e) Anti-Social Behaviour | 6 |
| (/) Lack of School Progress/Backwardness | 7 |
| Other Attendances | 2,676 |
| Total Attendances | 2,852 |
| Children | 1,069 |
| Parents | 1.678 |
| Others | 105 |
These figures do not take account of case consultations in which professional
workers from outside agencies were helped to deal with their
own clients.
During 1972 the Child Guidance Clinic continued to play a central
part in co-ordinating services for children in the borough. In its functioning
as a clearing house for information, much work was done which is not
made evident in the statistical report. For example, in the breakdown of
total attendances "the others" (105) does not cover a large amount of
informal contacts, e.g. on the telephone. These others included teachers,
doctors, probation officers, health visitors, and especially, social workers
from the Department of Social Services. A Senior Social Worker from this
department (Mrs. Sylvia Brooks) was nominated to take special
responsibility for liaison with the clinical staff side. Her work was much
appreciated.