London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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West Ham 1955

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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Medical Officer of Health3
Maternity & Child Welfare Service14
School Medical Officers2
Child Guidance Clinic3
Duly Authorised Officers1
Home Help Organiser124
Probation Officers5
Disablement Resettlement Officer1
National Assistance Board2
Citizens' Advice Bureau4
Blind Welfare Officer1
General Practitioners4
Others1027
No. of Hcroe visits117
* No. of Office interviews425
Visits to Social Agencies, Hospitals, etc.147

* This figure Includes case conferences and Individual conferences with Health. Visitors.
Psychiatric Club,
Owing to the lack of suitable patients the Psychiatric Cltib was suspended in August.
It is hoped that in the future, given sufficient suitable patients, the Psychiatric Club
can be re-started in brighter and more suitable permanent premises, or that arrangements
can be made with one or more neighbouring authorities for patients In this authority to
attend a joint Psychiatric Club. With the appointment of an Occupational Therapist there
is still greater scope for organising a social club under her charge, rather than that the
club should be run by a Psychiatric Social Worker or Duly Authorised Officers who are
concerned more with the care of the patient or his removal to hospital at a time when he
is in greater need of actual psychiatric treatment.
Short-Term Care of the Mentally Defective.
During the year arrangements were made for 10 mentally defective persons to receive
temporary accommodation and care as a result of urgent medico-social circumstances. In
most of these cases the period of care varied from about four to six weeks. Details of these
are given on page 93.
Severely defective children may prove unsuitable for admission to the Occupation Centre,
and their parents may not wish them to be admitted to a mental deficiency hospital. Such
cases often have added physical disabilities or suffer from epilepsy which add considerably
to the difficulties of caring for them. They require attention frequently, day and night,
and the devoted parents, especially the mothers, have the task of washing, cleaning, feeding
and carrying the child (or adult) in addition to trying to cope with the daily routine of
work. There is never any let-up for them and they are denied relaxation or entertainment
or the annual holiday unless there are willing relatives to relieve them.
90