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09
AMBULANCE SERVICE.
To the Medical Officer of Health.
I submit the Eleventh Annual Report of the Croydon
Ambulance Service, for the year ended 31st December, 1952.
While the work carried out was greater than in any previous
year this cannot be shown by the comparison of the number of
calls. It will be remembered that commencing in 1952, the
Ministry of Health requested all Ambulance Authorities to adopt
a r.ationl unit for defining "calls", and this differed materially
from the method previously used in Croydon. As judged by the
number of miles travelled by vehicles—390,535 as against 360,095
in 1951—the increase in work was 6.7 per cent. On a similar
basis of comparison the increase between 1950-1951 was 3.1 per
cent.
Three Ex W.D. Albion Ambulances (FVB 570, GBY 515
and FOY 807) and one Armstrong Ambulance (BVB 1) were
disposed of and in place of these two Bedford Sitting Case Ambulances
(KBY 700 and KRK 563), one Bedford 32 Seater Coach
(KRK 252—Mental Deficiency) and or.e Daimler Ambulance
(KOY 800) were delivered. These new vehicles have proved
very satisfactory.
The weather during 1952 has been exceptionally bad and
as a result of this many extra emergency calls have been received
to convey patients suffering from influenza and various chest
complaints.
In conclusion, may I express my sincere thanks to the
Members of the Ambulance Sub-Committee and to the Medical
Officer of Health, for their help and encouragement which has
been of great assistance to me in the administration of the
duties of Chief Ambulance Officer.
A. L. HILL,
Chief Officer.
Calls were dealt with as follows : —
Headquarters Station, Stroud Green 24,011
No. 2 Station, Thornton Heath 4,307
No. 3 Station, South Croydon 4,378
No. 4 Station, Mayday Hospital 2,232
No. 5 Station, Waddon Hospital 678