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
Kingston upon Thames 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]
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118
Child Guidance
The work of the clinic continues to progress, with increasing
emphasis on treatment of the whole family, rather than the individual
child.
Treatment facilities remain limited in that psychotherapists
are in short supply and there are neither sufficient day places for the
education of disturbed children nor a residential unit for those
requiring a period of skilled care away from their homes.
During the past year a senior registrar in child psychiatry
has been trained and the training of social work students has continued.
The clinic continues to maintain close links with other agencies, e.g.
the Social Services Department, speech therapists, the Education Department
and the Paediatric Department of Kingston Hospital.
The following table shows the work done during the year:
| Caseload brought forward from 1970 | 356 | |
| Waiting list at December 1970 | 20 | 376 |
| 160 new cases were referred during 1971 by the following: Health Visitors | 5 | |
| Court | 12 | |
| School Health Service | 42 | |
| Private practitioners | 60 | |
| Other Clinics | 2 | |
| Direct non-medical | 19 | |
| Education Department | 12 | |
| School Psychological Service | 5 | |
| Social Services Department | 2 | |
| Speech Therapists | 1 | |
| New cases initially seen by psychiatrist during the year | 136 | |
| New caseload initial distribution: | ||
| Psychiatrist | 53 | |
| Psychiatric Social Worker | 76 | |
| Psychologist | 7 | |
| Total of caseload during the year | 536 |