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1st October Collision between a bus and a lorry at the junction of
Roman Road and Grove Road, Bethnal Green ; fourteen
casualties taken to hospital.
3rd October Collision in Harrow Road, Westbourne Terrace, as a
result of which a coach crashed into the wall of a house ;
eight casualties taken to hospital.
4th October Multiple collision in Sidcup Road, Eltham; six casualties
removed, of whom one had been fatally injured.
During 1954, more than a hundred visitors were received by or on behalf of the
Officer-in-Charge and shown over the headquarters control room. A number of these
were also given the opportunity of inspecting ambulances and of visiting one or more
stations. Many of the visitors came from abroad, e.g., Persia, Ceylon, New South Wales
—while others were from various parts of the British Isles. Talks and demonstrations
on the general organisation and operation of the Service were given to a number of
parties of home and overseas students pursuing courses of study at the Royal College
of Nursing.
Visitors
Hampstead Accident Ambulance Station—The principal event of the year was the completion
of the first new accident ambulance station to be built in London since 1932.
The new station is situated in Hampstead and was formally opened by the Chairman of
the Health Committee on 8th December, 1954. From the commencement of operations
on 15th November to the end of the year the three ambulances at the station dealt with
1,248 calls, of which 562 were emergency calls.
Upper Richmond Road and Mottingham Accident Ambulance Stations—The erection, in
Wandsworth and Woolwich, respectively, of two new accident ambulance stations,
each designed to accommodate three ambulances, was commenced in June and December,
respectively.
Headquarters Ambulance Station—The ambulances and crews attached to this station were
accommodated in temporary premises in Southwark throughout the year whilst work
continued on adapting the former fire station in Waterloo Road to serve as the administrative
and operational headquarters of the service.
Brook General Ambulance Station—Work on the alteration and reinstatement of this station
after war damage commenced in March and proceeded throughout the remainder of
the year. Primarily it is designed to provide additional accommodation for ambulances
but the scheme also covers the erection of a new kitchen, messroom and workshop and
various other works to modernise the premises and to lessen the risk from fire. Despite
the extent of the building operations the work of the station has continued day and night,
often in the face of considerable difficulties.
Premises
The vehicle replacement programme has been influenced by the ever-mcreasmg
demand upon the service for the conveyance of out-patients to and from hospital and
the present trend is towards a higher proportion of vehicles adaptable for the conveyance
of patients able to walk and sit. During the year, 11 taxi-type cars were added to the
establishment and one car beyond economic repair was replaced. Three new singlestretcher,
sitting-case ambulances were acquired and these have proved of particular use
in decentralised work at hospitals.
Vehicle strength at end of 1954 :
Ambulances 230
Single-stretcher, sitting-case ambulances 45
Sitting-case cars 47
Ambulance buses 10
Tenders 2
334
79
Vehicles