VPRS 18422 Leave of Absence and Trial Leave Register, Psychiatric Hospital

These registers contain entries under the headings: date of admission, whether male or female, name of patient, register number, period of leave allowed, leave extended to, date of return or discharge, name, relationship and address of guardian. In some instances the patient died while on leave and so was not returned or discharged. In many instance, the patients themselves were their own "guardian". All entries are double page entries.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 registers were maintained to record leave of absence and trial leave for patients. Each entry was made chronologically and there is an index at the front in the form of groupings of name by letter of the alphabet. References are to the relevant folios in each register respectively. There may be several references in a register for a particular patient.In accordance with s.60 of the Lunacy Act 1867 (No. 309), the superintendent of any asylum or licensed house, with the consent in writing of the superintendent thereof if not himself such superintendent, and also in both cases with the consent in writing of the inspector, could send any patient to any specified place for any definite time for the benefit of his health, and could also permit any patient to be absent from any such asylum or house upon trial for such period as may be thought fit. Further, the Inspector himself could permit any patient to be absent from any asylum or licensed house upon trial for such period as he saw fit.In accordance with s.87 of the Lunacy Act 1890 (No. 1113), the inspector was authorised to permit any patient to be absent from any asylum or licensed house upon trial for such period as he thought fit.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".