[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City.

  • Coventry (England). County and City Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    particular patient was unable to meet the expense of such visits. Her absent delinquent husband has no interest in assisting her. It will be appreciated that the infrequency of visits inevitably results in hardship both on the parent anxious to see the son or daughter and equally, on the patient, who, unfortunately, far too often, has to forego the joy of a visit. 'Medical Superintendents have stated that regular visits from relatives form an important part of in-patient therapy, and although they can make easier the way of relatives by issuing a certificate of expediency that a patient should be visited, it so often applies to but a small percentage of needy cases and only then from the point of view of benefit to the patient. The National Health Service Act makes no provisions for even a discriminate use of transport for such cases and during the year under review several most needy cases have applied tor assistance. The Health Committee considered this matter most sympathetically, but unfortunately only the most restricted use for extremely deserving cases has been possible; and this may be a subject deserving of attention by the Minister himself. During the year 1954 work done under the three relevant Acts was as follows :— Lunacy Acts, 1890—1891. Coventry patients Central Mental Hospital, Warwick Sec. 16 Sec. 11 Sec. 20 Total Number of patients remain- ing in hospital on 31.12.53. Number of admissions from 1st Jan. to 3lBt Dec., 1954. 369 77 1 19 396 97 473 1 19 493 Number of discharges, includ- ing deaths from 1st Jan., 1954 to 31st Dec., 1954. 66 1 19 86 Number of persons of unsound mind remaining in Central Hospital on 31.12.54. 407 — — 407 Mental Treatment Act, 1930. During- 1954 the facilities under this Act were utilised : as follows I. No. of patients in Central Hospital, Warwick, under this Act on Voluntary 146 January ist, 1954 ... Temporary 4 2. No. of patients admitted during Voluntary 462 1954 ••• Temporary 6 3- No. of patients discharged, trans- Voluntary 438 ferred or died Temporary 9 4- No. of patients remaining in hospital Voluntary 170 at 31st December, 1954 Ternporary I