[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council.

  • Pembrokeshire (Wales). County Council.
Date:
1962
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    210 mentally ill and 2 subnormal patients from this County were admitted informally during the year for hospital treatment: 82 patients were admitted by compulsory order—71 were emergency admissions under section 29 of the Mental Health Act, 1959. It is expected that, when more psychiatrists are available in South- West Wales, sections 25 and 26 of the latter Act will be used more often for compulsory admissions. A weekly Child Guidance Clinic continued to be held at the Central Clinic, Haverfordwest. Dr. J. MacDonald and Dr. N. James are the Child Psychiatrists at this clinic. Forty one new patients attended for diagnosis and treatment in 1962—psychiatric or behaviour disorder in a child often requires prolonged treatment and a number of attendances by the child and parents. Mr. Vittle, the Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, was responsible for the social work of the clinic. Parents, teachers, doctors and probation officers have appreciated the advice available at the clinic. In addition to his association with this clinic, Dr. C. B. E. James, the Educational Psychologist, also directs a Schools Psychological Service in the County. The routine testing of the urine of babies to detect the rare cases of phenyl-ketonuria—a metabolic defect which, unless limited by a special diet, leads to severe subnormality—was undertaken in 1962, and one new case was discovered by Miss R. Davies, the health visitor, at Milford Haven. This infant is now under treatment. A series of ten public lectures on ‘ Community Care and Mental Health ’, arranged by the Extra-mural Department of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, commenced at the County Health Department, Haverfordwest, during October, 1962. Attendances were encouraging. The lecturers included members of the staff of the department.