[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottinghamshire County Council.

  • Nottinghamshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottinghamshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    126/144 (page 104)
    year in assistinpi; persons sufterin^ from mental illness or defectiveness and mention should l)(‘ madi^ of the valuable assistance' oiv(‘ii by the Authority’s Home' Help and Ambvdance Services. Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts, 1890-1930. The following figures summarise the work undertaken by the Local Health Authority’s Duly Authorised Officers during the year in securing treatment for persons suffering from mental illness :— Admissions to Hospital M ales Females Total (a) Mental Treatment Act, 1930— As Voluntary Patients (Section 1) 26 24 50 As Temporary Patients (Section 5) 1 2 3 (b) Lunacy Act, 1890— kinder Summary Reception Orders (Section 16) 70 93 163 Under 3-day Orders (Section 20) 23 23 46 Under 14-day Orders (Section 21) 2 — 2 Under Urgency Orders (Section 11) 1 — 1 Referred to Psychiatric Out-Patient Clinics 9 16 25 132 158 290 Of the forty-nine patients dealt with under Sections 11, 20 and 21 of the Lunacy Act, thirteen were subsequently certified ; thirty became Voluntary patients, and six were able to take their discharge. Once again, it is disturbing to note the proportion of aged persons who were dealt with during the year as the following table shows :— Males Females Total Aged 65-70 years 10 19 29 ,, 71-80 years 14 16 30 ,, 81 years or over 1 1 2 25 36 61 These figures show an increase of sixteen over the previous year— when forty-five persons over sixty-five years of age were dealt with— and they appear to indicate that little progress has been made in providing alternative forms of care for these unfortunate old people. Prior to 1948, the County Institution, backed by the statutory authority of the Relieving Officer, offered a ready solution and applications for admission could speedily be dealt with. Nowadays, however, the Duly Authorised Officer, owing to limitations of hospital