[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Woking U.D.C.

  • Woking (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Woking U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    44/102 (page 41)
    Voluntary Services Much of the work for the domiciliary care of the mentally ill and handicapped would be to little avail without a sympathetic understanding of their problem by the public. The wonderful response to the campaign for a Social Club for the Handicapped is a heartening measure of the public’s interest. By the end of the year the foundations of a really splendid Social Centre had been laid. Mental Illness The majority of the mentally ill patients from Woking are admitted to Brookwood Hospital voluntarily. A small number are accepted through Mental Health Officers under various sections of the Mental Health Act. Community Care A team consisting of a Psychiatric Social Worker, Mental Health Officers and Mental Social Workers are responsible for visiting the mentally ill in the community. Close co-operation is maintained with Psychiatric Hospitals and their Specialist Medical Staff. Close liaison is also kept with the general practitioner services. Woking is covered by such a team based at Chertsey. Recruitment of staff to equip this team, however, is a difficult problem. Residential and Hostel Accommodation As with mentally subnormal persons, mentally ill persons not requiring hospital treatment should live at home, but occasionally this is not possible or advisable, and it may be necessary to provide special residential accommodation. The Brookwood Hospital have a hostel in the hospital grounds as part of the rehabilitation arrangements for their patients and the County Council have plans for a hostel for mentally ill employable males at Chertsey in 1965/66, as part of their 10 year plan. Statistics - No. of patients admitted to Psychiatric Hospitals Mental Health Act, 1959 Ma 1 e F ema1e Total Section 5 (informal) 3 3 25 (observation 28 days) 1 1 2 26 (treatment ) 1 1 2 29 (observation in emergencies 3 days) 17 19 36 60 (Court Order) 1 - 1 No action taken after enquiry or referred to other departments 6 4 10