[Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottinghamshire County Council.
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Date:
- 1952
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottinghamshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![officers could be utilised to the discharged patient’s cnlvantage, even though communication difficulties in a County area might make this more difficult of achievement than in a County Borough. As matters stand, the services of the Authority’s Authorised Officers are beii g utilised almost entirely as a convenient means of effecting edmissions although, at the sam:e tim.e, they are expected to use their utmost endeavours to restrict admissions wherever possible. To this end, inter alia, the fullest use continues to be made of Psychiatric Out-Patient Clinic facilities, amd the arrangement whereby case histories are supplied for the inform;ati( n of the Consultant Psycliiatrists in adtendance appears to have 0]:cratcd satisfactorih^, notwithstanding the fact tliat it has sometimes been difficult for the officer referring a case to ascertain what course of action has been decided upon. At Regional f-Jospital Board level, 1 have always found the Regional Psychiatrist and his staff to be miost helpful and, especial!}/ in regard to the provision of institutional accomm.odation for mental defectives, I have frequently had reason to be grateful for their assistance, particularly as 1 am only too well aware of the extreme pressure on the comparatively lim.ited accommodation resources at their disposal. No arrangements have been made with the Regional Hospital Board for the joint employment of officers, either medical or lay, nor is it anticipated that an}/ such arrangements will be necessary. (d) Voluntary Associations. The Tocal Health Authority have not enlisted the aid of any ATluntary Bodies in discharging their statutor}/ Alental Health functions, but they have from time to time made use of the training facilities offered by the National Association for Mental Health and further reference is made to this under the next heading. Prior to the appointed dayq the County Council made an annual grant of £22 to the National Association and this practice has since been c( ntinued as provided for in the approved Proposals. The amount of the grant was increased in 1951 to £25 per annum. (e) Training of Staff. During 1952, the Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr. Walker, attended a three-weeks Course for Medical Officers on “ Educationally Sub-Normal Children and Mental Defectives ” and he has since been approved by the Minister of Education to undertake the ascertainment of educationally sub-norm.al children. The Superintendent Mental Health Worker attended the Annual Conference of the National Associ¬ ation for Mental Health, whilst she and the Eemale Mental Health MMrker were both granted paid leave of absence to attend the Annual Conference of the Association of Mental Health Workers. Arrangements were also made for the untrained Assistant Instructress at the Mansfield Occupation Centre to attend a short refresher course for Staffs of Occupation Centres, etc., organised by the National Association for Mental Health.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29925344_0140.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
