London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Merton and Morden 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
This page requires JavaScript
AMBULANCE FACILITIES.
Infectious Cases. Cases of infectious disease, where they
are admitted to Isolation Hospital, are conveyed by the
ambulance of the Wandle Valley Joint Hospital Board.
Non-Infectious Cases. The Council maintain one general
purpose ambulance fully staffed and one ex-Army vehicle in
reserve. Arrangements exist between Sutton and Cheam, Carshalton,
Mitcham and Merton and Morden whereby calls are
transmitted by one authority to the nearest available, when the
ambulance is already out, this reciprocal arrangement being free
between the authorities concerned. The scope of the work
undertaken by our ambulance is as shown below—
AMBULANCE CALLS, 1946.
| Month | Calls received from Public | Calls received from neighbouring Brigades | Total Galls Received | Calls trrtnsferred to other Brigades | Calls answered by Own Ambulance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | 127 | 19 | 146 | 16 | 180 |
| Feb. | 93 | 19 | 100 | 7 | 99 |
| March | 102 | 20 | 122 | 11 | 111 |
| April | 107 | 12 | 119 | 10 | 109 |
| May | 99 | 12 | 111 | 12 | 99 |
| June | 105 | 18 | 118 | 12 | 106 |
| July | 115 | 80 | 145 | 18 | 182 |
| Aug. | 77 | 26 | 103 | 85 | 68 |
| Sep. | 107 | 19 | 126 | 4 | 122 |
| Oct. | 106 | 81 | 187 | 8 | 129 |
| Nov. | 188 | 26 | 159 | 17 | 142 |
| Dec. | 171 | 86 | 207 | 80 | 177 |
| Total | 1342 | 267 | 1599 | 175 | 1424 |
Time taken in executing the calls (from
leaving Station to return) 1,146 hours
Mileage covered. 11,998 miles
Average time per call 48.3 minutes
Average distance per call 8.4 miles
The Hospital Car Service was continued during the year
under the auspices of the British Red Cross and St. John
Ambulance Brigade. This service caters for ambulance patients
who are required to attend out-patient departments of hospitals
for treatment. The work is undertaken on a voluntary basis
and the transport is provided by public spirited persons who
put themselves and their vehicles at the disposal of the organisation.
A charge of 3d. per mile is made to cover partly the
actual running cost. This cost is met by the Council for residents
of the district. These arrangements are a most valuable
extensior of the ambulance facilities provided in the district.
21 .