VPRS 18431 Leave of Absence Register, Parklands Clinic

This series comprises of Leave of Absence Registers that documents voluntary patients who were on voluntary leave from the Parklands Clinic, Ballarat. Although voluntary patients consented to treatment on their own behalf, they were admitted to the institution at the discretion of the authorised psychiatrist. As voluntary patients they had the right to leave a psychiatric in-patient service at any time.Section 41 (11) of the Mental Health Act 1959 (No. 6605) stated 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".Parklands Clinic continued on from the Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital and opened in December 1968. The facility was situated at Lakeside Hospital. Initially, most patients were admitted to Parklands from Dana House and the Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital.Parklands provided treatment for patients with acute, short- term psychiatric illness on an inpatient basis. Patients could be admitted on a voluntary basis or by recommendation. The patients varied in age from teenagers to elderly people. Patients assessed as needing long-term treatment were transferred to Lakeside Hospital.The register contain entries under the following headings:- date of admission- whether male or female- the sequential register number- period of leave allowed- date of return or discharge- name, relationship and address of guardian. This was often the patient themselves. They returned to their own home whilst on leave.The standard period of leave allowed was 3 months. The patient often returned before that period expired. If the person died whilst on leave this fact was recorded.A noticeable difference between leave of absence registers and trial leave registers is that there is no extended leave applying to leave of absence.