View report page

45
removal of patients by ambulance, primarily those patients travelling long
distances.
(ii) The County of London Hospital Car Service, administered jointly
by the Women's Voluntary Services, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and
the British Red Cross Society—for the conveyance to and from hospitals, etc.,
by motor car, of patients who are able to sit up.
(The voluntary character of these two organisations has been preserved in
the arrangements.)
(iii) The City of London Corporation—for the continued operation, for
one year, of the City of London Police Ambulance Service to deal with persons
sustaining injury or suffering from sudden illness in the City.
(iv) The West Ham County Borough Council—for the provision of ambulance
services in that part of Woolwich which is north of the Thames. (This arrangement
ensures the speedy removal of patients from an area not readily accessible
to the Council's ambulances by reason of its geographical position.)
Consultations took place with other ambulance services, the Port of London 1
Authority and the railway authorities to enable the most efficient service to be t
provided with due regard to economy.
To reduce as much as possible the period before the arrival of an ambulance,
arrangements have been made with all neighbouring local health authorities for
emergency calls, e.g., street accidents, near the common boundary to be answered
by an ambulance from the nearest ambulance station, irrespective of whether or
not the ambulance station is controlled by the authority in whose area the incident
has occurred.
The special arrangements devised by the London Ambulance Service for the
removal of patients suffering from smallpox, and from typhus fever have been made
available, within certain limits, to neighbouring authorities.
Arrangements have been made with railway authorities for patients who need
to travel very long distances to make the major part of the journey by train when
the condition of the patient permits and rail transport would be quicker and more
comfortable than a long journey by road.
Liaison has been established with other ambulance services so that when it is
necessary to send an ambulance on a long journey it can, whenever possible, convey
another patient on the return journey.
Co-operation
with other
authorities
A heavy burden has been borne by the Home Service Ambulance Department
of the Joint Committee of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the British Red
Cross Society and by the County of London Hospital Car Service and tribute is due
to the marked success achieved by these two voluntary organisations in meeting
the calls made upon them.
, Home
Ambulance
Service and
Hospital Car
Service
The arrangements under which the Council has operated ambulance transport
since the war on behalf of the Ministry of Health for the Emergency Medical Service
automatically ceased with the inauguration of the National Health Service from
which date the provision of this transport, when the need arises in London, became
the Council's responsibility.
Emergency
Medical
Service
There was an immediate and substantial increase in requests for ambulance transport
on the introduction of the National Health Service and demands rose steadily
during the remainder of the year. By the end of 1948 the number of patients removed
daily was 35% greater than at the beginning of the year.
Increase in
ambulance
calls
Special arrangements were introduced and special equipment provided for the
removal to hospital of premature babies and babies suffering from haemolytic
disease.
Premature
babies
The precautions to safeguard ambulance crews when undertaking the removal
of patients suffering from typhus fever and to protect other patients travelling
subsequently in the same ambulance were revised.
Typhus fever
precautions