London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]
This page requires JavaScript
As Medical Officer of Health of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
I represent the London Boroughs Association on the General Committee of the Guard'
ianship Society, Hove.
One subnormal female was discharged from Guardianship during 1966. The
circumstances were such that the woman concerned returned to her former employment
in Hertfordshire.
Admissions to hospital.
The Borough is in the catchment area of Normansfield Hospital, Teddington,
which serves the districts of Twickenham, Teddington, Hampton and Hampton Wick;
Botleys Park Hospital, Chertsey, Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, and St. Ebba's
Hospital, Epsom, which cover the districts of Richmond and Barnes. The majority
of patients from the Richmond and Barnes area are admitted to Botley's Park Hospital.
table shows the number of admissions which have taken place from 1st January, 1966, to the 31st December, 1966, all of which were on an informal basis :
| Subnormal | Severely Subnormal | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 16 | Under 16 | Over 16 | Under 16 | ||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | ||
| Normansfield Hospital | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Botleys Park Hospital | - | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 4 |
| Queen Mary's Hospital | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
The number of patients awaiting admission to psychiatric hospitals for the subnormal at the end of the year was as follows :
| Subnormal | Severely Subnormal | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 16 | Under 16 | Over 16 | Under 16 | ||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | ||
| In urgent need of hospital care | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| Not in urgent need of hospital care | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
During the year there were 14 admissions to hospital on a permanent basis compared
with 4 in 1965. The waiting lists were carefully scrutinised and it is pleasing
to note that there was a total of ten patients awaiting permanent care compared with
20 at the end of 1965.
I am indebted to Dr. N. Langdon Down of Normansfield Hospital, Dr. J. M.
Crawford of Botleys Park Hospital, and Dr. B. Kirman of Queen Mary's Hospital,
Carshalton, for their invaluable help.
Temporary Care
One way in which the parents can be given a measure of relief is for the department
to arrange short stay care for periods of up to eight weeks in psychiatric hospitals
or arrangements may be made with voluntary societies etc. for placement in private
homes. During 1966 arrangements were made for 20 patients to be sent to hospitals;
two patients were accommodated in privately run establishments.
43