[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Dundee City.

  • Dundee (Scotland). City Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Dundee City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/140 (page 12)
    month Dr Robert Gibson, Medical Superintendent, Baldovan Institution, has seen, among othei’S, such cases referred by the D.R.O. for specialist opinion and some requiring reference to the D.R.O. for registration under the Disabled Persons (Em- ployment) Act. Arrangements for the investigation of home circumstances and the after-care of patients discharged from mental hospi- tals have continued satisfactorily. The senior health visitor has continued the work of the psychiatric social worker and has assisted materially in ensuring adequate care and satis- factory rehabilitation of the patient. In the course of the year this health visitor paid 185 visits to 123 cases and 178 other visits. For the formalities of certification the services of the de- partment have been called upon in 79 cases in hospital and 42 in their own home or elsewhere. Close and harmonious relationship has continued with the Dundee Association for Mental Health who are ready and willing as a voluntary body to assist in every possible way. Of the various schemes devolving upon the Local Health Authority under the National Health (Scotland) Act, 1947. this one has advanced most and entails a tremendous amount of work. It requires very strict supervision on account of its popularity and of the wide section of the community who can claim the advantages of the scheme. Requests for assist- ance are received from doctors, hospitals, etc., and these are considered strictly on their merits and in accordance with prevailing conditions. The aged and chronic sick call for special consideration, and once such cases receive assistance the need continues for pro- tracted periods. Requests are received from hospitals in re- spect of premature discharges or cases for whom further medi- cal attention is of no avail, so that the list of aged and chronic sick is being maintained, if not enlarged. Priority is given to maternity cases and to acute conditions—particularly so in respect of mothers with young children. On a number of occasions, it was necessary to deprive some of the old people of assistance for short periods or to reduce the number of hours of service in order to accommodate more urgent cases. The Corporation authorised the employment of the equiva- lent of 135 whole time helps during the financial year, 1951/ 52, and this number had to be exceeded by almost 3—not actu- ally on account of the demands but more on account of sick- ness among the home helps. In the course of the year, quite