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36
Social Clubs
Social Club activities for both the mentally ill patients and for the
mentally handicapped continue. These activities are supported by Mental Health
Social Workers and they all are run in Council premises.
Relationship with Hospitals
The relationship with the hospitals is still improving. The psychiatric
unit at Hackney Hospital was being enlarged during the year and it was hoped
that some extra accommodation would be taken into use early in 1971. However,
this will not meet the full need but the improved facilities for the Mental
Health Unit, alift and 20 more beds will mean that in 1971 an increasing number
of the Hackney patients can be admitted to Hackney Hospital and not have to go
25 miles away to the other side of London to Long Grove Hospital. The ultimate
aim is 120 beds and to build a day hospital for approximately a hundred patients
in the grounds of Hackney Hospital.
The usual visits of Mental Health Social Workers to both psychiatric
hospitals continues. Discussions took place with the psychiatrists but unfortunately
all too rarely are the patients under discussion those that will be
dealt with by the Hackney mental health social workers.
The conversion of Section 26 Patients at Long Grove Hospital is causing
very considerable waste of time on the part of the mental health social workers
who often spend days preparing and having to be ready to sign for these
conversions. This is not the practice in some of the other London Boroughs
where the Authority of the areas in which theHospitals are situated provide the
social service for these conversions.
Statistics
The statistical information has been compiled somewhat differently this
year as compared to previous years and direct comparisons cannot properly be made.
The statistics for 1970 do indicate increased activity within the area of
mental health social work. The total number of people under community care was
1,185 at the end of 1970 which is slightly lower than the number at the end of
1969 - 1, 272. This does not mean that there has been less activity for during
the year the lists were reviewed by the staff of the mental health section to
make them more realistic.
The total referrals for the year, 1,177, is considerably higher than the
referrals for last year and the number of new referrals, 573, is also very much
higher. This means that many patients are discharged much earlier from hospital
and may be re-admitted because of their subsequent breakdown in the community.
The statistics set out at the end of this chapter deal only with those
referred during the year.
The total number having community care in one way or the other within the
London Borough of Hackney was at the end of the year 1, 185, 635 of these
were mentally handicapped and 550 mentally ill patients.