[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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![to time to arrange for the re-examination through the School Health Service of children who, though statutorily reported as ineducable, have improved sufhciently to merit re-assessment and, where appropriate, to recommend revocation of the report so as to enable the child to be brought once more witliin the scope of the general education S3''stem. One important source of ascertainment since 1948 has been the National Assistance Board, and reports from tlie Board’s ofheers following receipt by them of applications for maintenance allowa,nces from suspected defecti\'es have been very much appreciated. Reports of hitherto unknown cases are also received from time to time from a ^\ide variety of sources including patients’ own medical attendants, medical ofheers of the Regional Hospital Board following attendance at Psychiatric or General Hospital Clinics, and patients’ own relatives or friends— usually in this latter instance wlien some domestic crisis necessitates tire making of urgent alternative arrangements for the patient’s care. (ii) Supervision. 4'he numbers of defectives under supervision at home on 31st December, 1952, were as follows ;— Moles Females Fetal Statutoiy Supervision— Under sixteen 92 69 161 Over sixteen .... 303 186 489 XMluntany Supervision— Under sixteen 2 3 5 Over sixteen .... 327 336 663 724 594 1,318 4'he total numi)er under supervision h.as sliown little r-ariation since 1948 and this is accounted for by the fact that the number of new^ cases ascertained has ])een offset by the number of old cases ceasing to be under community care either because of removals to otlier areas, deaths, discontinuation of visits where these were no longer necessary, or transfers of patients to institution care. Prior to the appointed day, home vi.sitation was undertaken by the Council’s Health \hsiting and School Nursing Staffs but this duty was then transferred to the male Mental Plealth Workers, supplemented w'here necessarv bv' the Female Superintendent Mental Health M'orker and her assistant. As ex-Relieving Officers, mostly well-known in their districts, it took some time for the male Mental Health WMrkers to gain the confidence of many families who appeared to resent any connection, how¬ ever slight, with tiie Poor Law, and that they ha\'e generally .succeeded in achieving this (md greatly reflects to their credit. At the outset of tlieir \nsiiing duties, it was laid down that two-mc)nthly visits would normally be regarded as a minimum requirement in statutory cases, ^vhilst ])atients under v()luntar\' supervision should be visited not less than once every three months subject, of course, to the ])roviso that more frecpLient visits should be paid wliere this appeared desirable. Reports on the results of each visit are submitted to my Department when any further necessary action is taken.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29925344_0145.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
