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69
Home
ambulance
service
The steady reduction in the number of orders passed to the Home Service Ambulance
Department of the Joint Committee of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and
the British Red Cross Society, which was noted in the report for 1949, was continued
during 1950 and, as last year, this was due in the main to the greater use of the
railways for lone distance removals.
Hospital
car service
The number of patients conveyed by the County of London Hospital Car Service
during 1950 was 37,000 more than in 1949 and comparison with the 1948 figures
shows an increase of over 84,000 patients and more than 900,000 miles. It is a matter
for serious concern that if this rate of increase is not substantially abated the demand
may shortly outstrip the available resources of the service.
Short of requiring a medical certificate of need in respect of each patient conveyed,
every effort is made to ensure that cars are provided only in cases of medical necessity
and, following recent discussions between the Officer-in-Charge, London Ambulance
Service, and the County of London Organiser of the Hospital Car Service, further
measures have been taken to effect economies and to increase the efficiency of the
Service.
As an experiment, the car service work of a few selected hospitals has been
" decentralised," i.e., cars are stationed at the hospitals during the day and the
drivers work to the direct order of the hospital transport officer, as is done in the case
of decentralised ambulances. There is good reason for supposing that this may result
in an appreciable reduction in the average mileage travelled per patient carried.
A still greater economy is looked for from an arrangement recently made whereby
all orders received by the Hospital Car Service for the removal of patients beyond a
radius of 40 miles from London are referred to the headquarters control room of the
London Ambulance Service with a view to the substitution in all suitable cases of
rail for road transport over the major portion of the journey.
In a circular letter dated 20th November, 1950, addressed to all hospitals using
the County of London Hospital Car Service, I gave details of this arrangement and
again appealed for co-operation in ensuring that ambulance or car transport, whether
for short or long journeys, is ordered only in cases in which it is essential.
West Ham
county
borough
council
The West Ham county borough council continued to provide ambulance services
on behalf of the Council in that part of Woolwich which is north of the river Thames.
Staff
There has been no effective change in the authorised establishment of drivers
and attendants during the year although, in consequence of the adoption in March,
1950, of revised shift rotas based upon a working week reduced from 48 to 44 hours,
the number of positions was increased from 514 (temporarily 574 to meet the additional
demands resulting from the National Health Service) to 560 (temporarily 626).
It has proved increasingly difficult to recruit suitable men into the service although
applications have been invited by advertisement in the press and by other means.
Towards the end of the year, it became difficult even to fill the vacancies resulting
from normal wastage as existing drivers left the Service.
It has been the Council's practice for some years to require all newly recruited
drivers, who are not already in possession of a recognised elementary qualification in
first aid to the injured, to obtain such a qualification within six months of engagement.
They then undergo an oral examination by a medical officer to ensure that they are
competent to apply their knowledge. It is gratifying to record that many members
of the staff maintain a keen interest in the subject of first aid to the injured and
pursue their studies either by obtaining the Council's " Advance " or " Teacher's "
certificate or by membership of one of the voluntary first-aid organisations. An
additional 6s. a week is paid to a holder of any of the recognised elementary