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19
SECTION B.
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
FOR THE AREA.
I. General Health Services.
(a) Ambulance Facilities.
The extent of the use of the normal Ambulance
Service during the year 1943, is shown by the 4,273
patients conveyed by ambulance, and reciprocal
arrangements with other Authorities are still in
operation.
Our experience in the war years has taught us
that an ambulance service must be, and in fact in
Barking is, an integral part of your health service.
During the first week of the War the peace-time
ambulance service was taken over and operated by
Civil Defence personnel under my direction, and has
so remained. Barking Corporation was the first local
authority to operate in this way.
The fact that there has not been one serious
complaint about the service given is a sufficient
commentary upon the manner in which the personnel
has discharged this important duty.
With the transfer of the peace-time ambulance
service, unified control of all forms of ambulance
work—accidents, hospital removals, infectious
patients and Civil Defence—was achieved.