View report page

35
Advice and guidance is given to the mothers as to training and future placement
of the child concerned. The clinic was held on 43 occasions and 111 children
were examined.
Co-Operation with Hospitals, Voluntary Societies, Etc.
The Department's close co-operation with the Psychiatric unit of Hackney
Hospital has continued to develop and the Professor of Psychiatry has arranged
and given lectures to the mental health staff at regular intervals. This has
been of great help. The mental welfare officers attend the twice-weekly case
conference where discussions take place on the after-care of patients. Tnese
help the Officers considerably and ensure that all patients who require the
Department's services are helped.
Long Grove Hospital, Epsom remains the main hospital for admissions for
this Borough, and the difficulties in time and distance involved continue. It
is proper to say, however, that the co-operation between tne Hospital and the
local authority services is of the highest order: the consultant psychiatrists
are readily availaDle for home visits and advice and the mental welfare officers
are welcomed at the weekly meetings of the consultants, social workers and nuring
staff.
With the opening of the Unit at Hackney Hospital, St. Clement's Hospital, Bow,
now receives a decreasing number of Hackney patients but the Medical Director and
his staff have continued to be most helpful with advice and guidance.
A community mental health service is unable to operate without co-operation
from the Psychiatric Hospitals and the many other bodies both voluntary and statutory
which operate in this field of public health. I am pleased to place on
record my deep appreciation for the help the Department has received from
Hackney, Long Grove and St. Clement's Hospitals and from tne Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Association, the Family Centre, Mental After-Care Association,
the Richmond Fellowship, the Hackney Society for Mentally Handicapped Children,
the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children, the National Association
for Mental Health, the London Boroughs Training Committee and many others.
Easton House Hostel, which is operated by a voluntary organisation and which
caters for boys who have left residential schools for the maladjusted suffered
serious staffing difficulties during the year and it was necessary for the
Department to loan the services of a senior mental welfare officer on two
occasions for quite length periods. At the time of writing the staffing situation
has been resolved and it is hoped that all will go well in the future.
The Council continues to provide the initial funds for the hostel's maintenance
subject to re-imbursement of the appropriate amounts by other Authorities making
use of the accommodation, a matter which is sometimes beset with administrative
difficulties. The Council is represented on the management committee of the
hostel and the Department's officers are frequently asked for guidance and advice
on the day-to-day running of tne premises.
Dental Services