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93
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
(by C. H. A. Wedeles, L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., D.P.M.(Lond.)
Principal Medical Officer)
Progress in the development of the Mental Health Service
has remained a rather lop-sided affair this year. Whilst modernising
sub-normality provision goes ahead at a steady pace, on
the psychiatric side little more could be done than maintain
essential services and plan for the future.
Betterments and inovations all hang on having sufficient
numbers of trained and experienced social work staff, especially
in senior posts. To attract this still rather rare commodity,
appropriate gradings and work-structure ere a prerequisite. The
ground plans for these were laid in 1967; much patience and a
little luck are all that is wanted now.
General
There is no need to re-Iterate the dire facts of unmet problems,
since the size of the shortfall in provision has been
well and often publicised. Just one "peak-of-the-iceberg" piece
of local statistic shall suffice as an index of what remains to
be done — in this Borough, one Psychiatrist alone sees 100
cases a year of attempted suicide at a General hospital. With
luck he will be able to see each patient for a few minutes
once; there Is as yet no social worker to whom he can designate
at least some follow up. The implications of this state of
affairs in terms of social costs and anguish speak for themselves.
In the absence of a service that takes systematic
notice of such problems, they tend to remain "silent".
We hope to make a small beginning In filling some gaps in
1968 by providing for parents with emotionally disturbed pre
school children a rapid consultation and diagnostic service
coupled with a special Day Nursery ran by staff qualified to
help such children with their problems. Often fairly serious
disturbances in development are not recognised until the child
goes to school; it is hoped that the very existence of such a
service may bring them to the fore at an earlier and often more
recoverable age.
Projects In
Hand
We are continuing to investigate the need for additional
rehabilitation facilities for mentally ill and physically handicapped
people, and have come to the conclusion that we shall
probably meet present need by building a centre for 40 patients.
Plans for this centre, to be built at Fullwell Cross, are being
modified in the light of new knowledge and information. We are
actively searching for property suitable to be adapted to serve