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Selected officers of the Public Health Department were trained in the duties of group
ambulance officers and deputies and a revision course was held for those officers who had
received this training in 1952.
Driving instruction commenced during the year when volunteers who already held
driving licences received instruction and practice on three types of ambulances including
the Daimler. Plans were also completed for the commencement of driving tuition for
selected volunteers who cannot drive and wish to learn.
Driving
instruction
Statistics
Statistics for the directly provided service are divided into two sections—the Accident
Section and the General Section—and are shown in the table on page 82 for 1938 (the
last full year before the war), 1947 (the last full year before the inception of the National
Health Service) and 1950-54 inclusive. The table also includes annual statistics of the
work performed by the agency and supplementary services on behalf of the London
Ambulance Service during the period 1950-1954.
The Accident Section statistics for 1953 and 1954 are analysed below to show the
types of calls received.
Analysis of Accident Section work
(a) Numbers of patients :
1953 1954
Street accidents 14,376 15,282
Other accidents 18,887 19,450
Assaults 1,734 1,783
Attempted suicide 1,087 1,167
Mental 521 526
Epilepsy 1,322 1,348
Other sudden illness 17,767 17,278
Maternity 25,885 25,772
Special journeys with patients 221 244
81,800 82,850
(b) Non-patient carrying journeys :
Delivery of analgesia apparatus 5,013 5,517
Special journeys without patients 477 289
Ambulance not required 5,897 6,004
11,387 11,810
The average time taken to reach a street accident in 1954 was 7.1 minutes.
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