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LONDON AMBULANCE SERVICE
This service operates under the immediate supervision of Mr. A. G. Hellman,
O.B.E., the officer-in-charge.
Effect of the
National
Health
Service Act,
1946
Development of the Service
On the introduction of the National Health Service on 5th July, 1948, the
responsibility for ensuring that ambulance transport was available, without charge,
for all persons for whom the need arose within the Administrative County of London
fell upon the Council.
Substantial progress had been made during 1947 in planning the organisation
to cope with the additional commitments which were to be assumed and a programme
for the development of the London Ambulance Service in two stages had been drawn
up. Two of the schemes carried out during 1948 were the transfer of the Western
Ambulance Station to new and larger premises in Chelsea and the operation of the
Headquarters station from new premises in Lambeth. The latter project has not
only facilitated the routine maintenance of the whole of the ambulances in the
accident section and the operation of additional accident ambulances direct from the
Headquarters station but has enabled ambulances to be manned by reserve drivers
and sent to assist at general section ambulance stations at times of exceptionaly
heavy pressure. The first stage of the development scheme also provided for the
extension of the South-Eastern and South-Western General Ambulance Stations
and the building of an accident ambulance station in Hampstead, and when these
projects have been completed it will be possible to operate an additional 25
ambulances.
The second stage envisages the extension of the Brook and Eastern General
Ambulance Stations; the provision of an accident ambulance service in the City of
London in place of that now operated by the City of London Police and the provision
of accident ambulance stations in Mottingham and Putney, permitting the operation
of a further 36 ambulances.
Agency
arrangements
Arrangements were made with the following bodies tor the services which they
provided prior to the introduction of the National Health Service to be continued
on an agency basis on behalf of the Council:—
(i) The Home Service Ambulance Department of the Joint Committee of
the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the British Red Cross Society—for the