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Visits of
inspection by
the Chairman
of the Health
Committee
During the summer recess Mrs. F. E. Cayford, J.P., the Chairman of the Health
Committee paid a series of visits to establishments of the Ambulance Service, including
each of the six general stations, twelve of the nineteen accident stations and the headquarters
station. During her visits the Chairman took the opportunity of speaking to
many of the supervisory officers and members of the operative staff about some of the
operational problems which have arisen from the continued increase in demand on the
Service. She presented 185 'Safe Driving' Competition awards to men drivers and
10 to women drivers. In her subsequent report to the Health Committee the Chairman
again drew attention to the high standard of efficiency of the Service and recorded how
impressed she had been by the smart bearing and alertness of supervisory officers and
crews and by the clean and orderly appearance of the ambulance stations.
Major
accidents
No occasion arose during the year to operate the 'major disaster' procedure,
involving the calling out of a mobile medical team from the appropriate 'designated'
hospital, but there were, nevertheless, a number of incidents, of which the following
are examples, in which several casualties were removed :
13th January Collision between a lorry and a hearse at junction of
Burbage Road and Turney Road, Camberwell; six
casualties taken to hospital.
23rd April Explosion in garage, Buckingham Palace Road,
Westminster; nine casualties taken to hospital. Two
firemen treated for minor injuries.
21st/22nd May Fire in deep shelter in Goodge Street, Bloomsbury;
21 firemen overcome by smoke fumes and removed to
hospital, numerous cases treated on the spot.
27th May Collision between a car and a troop lorry at junction of
Portobello Road and Westbourne Park Road, Notting
Hill ; four casualties taken to hospital.
1st June Explosion in Strand, near Somerest House; manhole
covers blown up ; nine casualties removed to hospital.
20th June Fire in railway arch stores, Goding Street, Vauxhall;
four firemen removed to hospital suffering from effects
of smoke and shock.
21st August Collision between a trolley bus and a private car at
junction of Southgate Road and Northchurch Road,
N.l; five casualties removed to hospital.
25th August Collision between a motor coach and a lorry at junction
of St. George's Drive and Charlwood Street, S.W.1;
five casualties removed to hospital.
22nd October Collision between two trains outside London Bridge
Station ; seven casualties removed to hospital.
31st October Collision between two buses at junction of Brixton Road
and Atlantic Road, S.W.9; 14 casualties removed to
hospital.
5th November Multiple car collision at junction of Bromley Road and
Bargery Road, Catford; eight casualties removed to
hospital.
Visitors
More than 170 visitors, many from overseas, were received at Headquarters during
1956. Special talks and demonstrations on the general organization and operation of the
Service were given to students from the Royal College of Nursing, members of the
Association of Public Health Lay Administrators, members of the British Red Cross
Society and students from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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