View report page

82
seen that the Department has continued to form a valued adjunct to the London
Ambulance Service and I am indebted to the officers of the Department for their
co-operation and help, particularly with long distance removals which are unsuitable
for ambulance-train-ambulance arrangements and with the conveyance of patients
to and from the limb-fitting centre of the Ministry of Pensions at Roehampton.
Hospital car
service
The work carried out by the hospital car service decreased again during 1953 when
131,763 patients were carried and 1,424,788 miles were run as compared with 135,523
patients and 1,504,138 miles in 1952. The decline in mileage per patient was due partly
to the growing number of ambulance-train-ambulance journeys and the corresponding
decrease in long distance car journeys and partly to the co-operation of hospitals in
allowing more journeys to be combined.
Arrangements
in North
Woolwich
The arrangement under which the West Ham County Borough council undertakes,
on behalf of the Council, the provision of ambulance services in the two parts of the
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich which he north of the River Thames continued
throughout the year. The co-operation which exists between the London and West
Ham Ambulance Service was well illustrated at the Stratford Underground Railway
collision already referred to.
Premises
The year 1953 was marked by considerable progress in the improvement of existing
buildings and the construction of new ones.
City Accident Ambulance Station was completed in August and the ambulance and crew
moved into the new building after having been accommodated for nearly a year
within the precincts of the Royal Hospital of St. Bartholomew by the courtesy of the
Board of Governors to whom I am most grateful for the facilities they so kindly provided.
South-Western General Ambulance Station—Adaptations to increase the vehicle accommodation,
to provide a new administrative block and to improve the entrance to the
station were commenced in September, 1952, and completed a year later.
Eastern General Ambulance Station—Work on Block B in the scheme of adaptation to
provide increased vehicle accommodation was finally completed in July, 1953, after
modification of the plans, substituting pre-stressed concrete beams for the rolled steel
beams originally proposed.
Hampstead Accident Ambulance Station—The erection of a new building was commenced
in October, 1953.
Headquarters Ambulance Station—Adaptation of the Headquarters Ambulance Station in
Waterloo Road to serve as the administrative and operational Headquarters of the
Service commenced in October, 1953, and the ambulances and crews stationed there
were temporarily transferred to premises in Southwark.
Vehicles
In December, 1952, the Council authorised the purchase of 15 taxi-cab-type vehicles
and, during 1953, these were gradually brought into operation for dealing with the
growing number of sitting-cases. The revised 1952-53 vehicle replacement programme
was completed, 10 single-stretcher ambulances being added to the fleet and 21 large
ambulances modified to take either sitting or recumbent patients.
Award of
resuscitation
certificates
STAFF
It is gratifying to record the award of the Royal Humane Society's Resuscitation
Certificate to two drivers in the London Ambulance Service. A boy, 8 years of age, was
pulled from the River Thames in an apparently lifeless condition. The ambulance crew
performed artificial respiration, using the oxygen apparatus carried in the vehicle.