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
Merton 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton]
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OTHER FORMS OF MENTAL DISORDER
Cases dealt with by Mental Welfare Officers
During the year 436 cases were referred to Mental Welfare
Officers for attention.
Two hundred and ninety-three patients were admitted to Mental Hospitals through the Mental Health Service. Details of these admissions are given below:—
| Males Males Under Over 65 65 | Females Under 60 | Females Over 60 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admitted informally | 44 | 10 | 75 | 30 | 159 |
| Admitted under Section 25 (for observation) | 8 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 22 |
| Admitted under Section 26 (for treatment) | 3 | - | 2 | - | 5 |
| Admitted under Section 29 (for observation in case of emergency) | 27 | 8 | 34 | 21 | 90 |
| Admitted under Section 60 (by the Courts) | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| Admitted under Section 136 (in conjunction with the Police) | 8 | - | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| Totals | 90 | 19 | 124 | 60 | 293 |
These figures do not include a large number of informal admissions
arranged directly by General Practitioners, or admitted informally
through Psychiatric Out-patient Clinics. The informal cases
listed above are only those where the Department has rendered
assistance, and are probably but a fraction of the total number of
informal admissions from the Borough.
The above figures show a rise from 191 cases dealt with in 1966
to 293 for 1967.
The bulk of this increase is absorbed in the figure given for
informal admission. It is fair to say that although more cases of
mental illness have been dealt with by the Mental Welfare Officers,
this is primarily due to the fact that their help has been sought at an
early stage or they have been re-arranging admissions for people already
known to them.
It is of interest to note that when the figures under this section
are broken down 19 males and 60 females are over the age of retirement.
This constitutes a high proportion of the total and it must be
admitted that there is a growing tendency among other agencies to
refer cases of elderly persons to the Mental Health Service, whether
or not the primary problem is one of mental health.
Of the 436 cases referred to the Mental Health Service, a large
number were elderly.
Patients receiving Community Care
At the end of the year 101 male and 159 female patients were
being provided with community care by the Authority. This shows
an increase of 46 males and 37 females compared with 1966.
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