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and South Western general ambulance stations to provide for additional staff and
vehicles. With the exception of the extension and improvement of the South Eastern
ambulance station, which were authorised to commence in 1959, these proposals were
implemented between 1948 and 1956 (further details are given on page 50).
Apart from the foregoing projects, which formed part of the Council's development
programme, other works of improvement have been carried out since 1956 and further
schemes have been formulated and approved for early completion as follows :
Dalston accident ambulance station—improvement of the staff accommodation.
Fulham accident ambulance station—reinstatement of war damage.
Kingsland Road accident ambulance station—widening of the entrance.
Streatham Accident ambulance station—provision of additional covered
accommodation for ambulances.
(The foregoing works were completed during 1957 and 1958.)
Battersea accident ambulance station—replacement of a temporary building
which had served until 1956 when the station was closed.
Eastern general ambulance station—provision of additional covered space for
vehicles.
North Western general ambulance station—provision of a new entrance and
reinstatement of war damage.
South Eastern general ambulance station—provision of additional sanitary
accommodation and the re-allocation of accommodation.
Western general ambulance station—provision of improved office accommodation
for clerical staff and improved mess-room accommodation for operative staff.
Western general ambulance station—provision of additional vehicle washing
space.
North Western ambulance station—erection of soundproof compartment for
radio operations.
Brook general ambulance station—re-allocation of accommodation.
Fulham accident ambulance station—provision of new petrol pump and tank.
Headquarters—provision of additional storage and office accommodation and
improvements to stores hoist arrangements.
(The above schemes were approved for commencement or completion during
1959.)
Tuberculosis
The Council became responsible as a local health authority for services for the prevention
of tuberculosis and the care and after-care of tuberculous persons. Most of these
services had previously been included in the Council's comprehensive scheme for the
diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis but some had been performed by the metropolitan
borough councils with grant aid from the Council and the Ministry of Health.
Chest clinics—Although responsibility for the diagnostic and treatment services passed
to the hospital authorities on 5 July, 1948, the close link which existed between this
work and the preventive, care and after-care services, mainly through the 31 tuberculosis
dispensaries (later renamed ' chest clinics'), was maintained.
The Council rents from the hospital management committees accommodation at
the chest clinics for its own staff, i.e., tuberculosis visitors, tuberculosis care organisers
and their clerks and, in some cases, handicraft instructors and it reimburses the
Metropolitan Regional Hospital Boards three-elevenths of the salaries paid to the chest
physicians to cover work done for the local health authority.
Contacts—A scheme in operation for over 20 years, whereby the Council arranges for
the boarding-out of children to protect them from infection by tuberculosis in their own
homes or to enable their parents to undertake treatment in hospital, was continued.
The Invalid Children's Aid Association, acting as the Council s agents, places the
children with suitable foster parents or in private nurseries. The scheme has been