[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough.

  • St. Helens (Merseyside, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Mental Health Staff.—The Medical Officer of Health is responsible for the organization and control of the local services, with the day-to-day ad¬ ministration of the Mental Health Department being supervised by an Assistant Medical Officer of Health. Use is also made of the Consultant Psychiatrist at present on the staff of the Local Education Authority and, where necessary, of specialist Medical Officers of the Regional Hospital Board. The non-medical staff consists of three Mental Welfare Officers (one male, two females) and one Sectional Clerk. The three Mental Welfare Officers have had refresher courses of training, and during 1960 the male Mental Welfare Officer attended the first part of a Course for Senior Officers in Local Health and Welfare Authorities at Reading University. Part IT of this Course will be held early in 1961. The Staff of the Training Centre consists of a Supervisor, 2 Assistant Supervisors, 2 Guide and General Helps (all female), together with 4 student trainees (one male, three female). Two of the students were in attendance at the Diploma Course in Manchester conducted by the National Association for Mental Health. Co-ordination with Regional Hospital Boards. There are frequent con¬ sultations with the Board’s Consultant Psychiatrists, and growing use is made of the domiciliary visiting service whereby the Psychiatrists are called in and are able to visit patients in their own homes. In addition, one or other of the Mental Welfare Officers make frequent visits to the local hospital psychiatric out-patient sessions. The Local Health Authority is also undertaking, on request, the super¬ vision of patients on trial or on licence from Psychiatric Hospitals. The number of visits paid, the number of cases involved’and the number of reports submitted during 1960 were as follows: Mental Subnormality No. of Cases No. of Visits Paid No. of Reports Submitted Reports on home conditions for licence on trial or discharge . 15 16 15 Reports on home conditions for the renewal of authority for detention 6 9 6 Duties Delegated to Voluntary Associations. No duties of the Local Health Authority have been delegated to voluntary organisations. The St. Helens Mental Welfare Society, however, assists in welfare activities among mental defectives, in connection with the provision of clothing and footwear, day outings, holidays, Christmas parties, etc. The Local Health Authority continued its grant to the funds of the Society for this work. The Women’s Voluntary Services also assist in the provision of clothing and footwear.