View report page

55
social workers obtained social histories from the patients and their
families and discussed their social implications with both patients
and doctors.
In addition to the above, officers of the section attended
discharge conferences at Kingston and Long Grove Hospitals, with a
view to establishing liaison with the hospital staff and discussing
what effective after-care could be provided for the patients concerned.
The section was involved in 135 admissions to Kingston and
Long Grove Hospitals, 42 of these being informal admissions.
During the year the Local Authority Social Services Act
1970 received Royal Assent,, This Act provides for the transfer of
the services now provided by the mental health section of the health
department under Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health
Act 1968 to be transferred to the Social Services Department. The
only exception will be the responsibility for the education of
mentally handicapped children, which is dealt with in Circular 15/70
issued by the Department of Education and Science on 22nd September
1970. This circular outlines the arrangements to be made for the
proposed transfer of this service to the local education authority
from 1st April 1971.
Day Centre for the Mentally 111
(Pine Lodge Day Centre, Blagdon Road, New Maiden)
This centre continues to function as part of the community
care services available for the mentally ill in the borough. The
prime objective of the unit is to provide a sheltered environment
for patients who have received treatment in hospital for mental disorder
but have not recovered sufficiently to return to full employment
or household duties. It also provides support for patients who, though
not ill enough to be admitted to hospital,, are likely to break down as
a result of the stresses of modern society.
At the end of 1969 there were 21 patients on the register.
The daily average attendance during 1970 was 16. During the year
there were 46 admissions. 16 were referred from psychiatric hospitals
and 30 from general practitioners and mental health social workers.
By the end of the year 39 patients had left the centre for
the following reasons; 15 to employment, 4 to return to household
duties, 7 readmitted to psychiatric hospitals, 12 ceased attendance