VPRS 18452 Short Term Trial Leave Registers

This series contains registers which were maintained to record short term trial leave for patients at Mont Park (VA 2846). Each entry was made chronologically. There is provision for an index at the front of the registers in the form of groupings of name by letter of the alphabet, however it was not used.The registers contain the following information: sequential number assigned to male and female patients, name of patient, period of leave allowed, date of return or discharge, and the name, relationship and address of the guardian to whom the patient was sent. Often the patient was absent on his/her own parole as opposed to being in the care of a guardian. Extension of leave was not a feature of this short term leave. The period of leave allowed was a matter of days, not exceeding a week.A noticeable difference between leave of absence and trial leave is that there is no extended leave applying to leave of absence. Trial leave tended to be of longer duration. Patients were often discharged whilst on trial leave. However, discharge could also occur during leave of absence. An alternative term for leave of absence was short term trial leave.The allowance of leave was an element in the treatment of the patient. There are instances where the patient was discharged whilst on short term trial leave. This is recorded in the registers. At some point in time a line was ruled through each page carrying the names of patients. This is likely to have occurred once all of the patients recorded on that page had either returned or been discharged. The first number in Unit 1, namely "6223", indicates that the record series did not commence with Unit 1.In relation to Leave of Absence, Section 41 (11) of the Mental Health Act 1959 (No. 6605) states that "the superintendent of any institution may permit a voluntary patient to have leave of absence from such institution for any period not exceeding three months and during or at the expiration of any such leave may readmit such patients without receiving any further request for admission".Pursuant to Section 88 of the same Act, the secretary of each institution was to cause to be kept separate records, in the prescribed form, of every patient allowed by the superintendent to be absent on trial leave or on parole for a period of not more than seven days and of every person allowed on trial leave or on parole for a period of more than seven days.Pursuant to Section 87 of the Lunacy Act 1890 (No.54), the superintendent of any institution could permit any patient to be absent from any asylum or licensed house upon trial leave for such period as he may think fit.