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53
AMBULANCE SERVICE
To the Medical Officer of Health
I beg to submit the Eighteenth Annual Report of the Croydon
Ambulance Service, for the year ended 31st December, 1959.
During the year the Service was called upon to deal with
114,790 patients, which necessitated 51,974 journeys and a
mileage of 413,119.
Compared with 1958 these figures show an increase of 4,710
patients and 472 journeys with a decrease of 4,464 miles.
There were 17,929 patients conveyed to places outside the
Borough, and on these journeys 132,090 miles were travelled.
The number of patients carried during the year was comparable
with 1958 until the commencement of August when an increase
became apparent.
The number of patients admitted to Hospitals and Nursing
Homes was 9,433 compared with 7,904 the previous year. An average
of 12 patients a day were taken to Warlingham House, Park Lane,
Croydon for after care treatment and were conveyed to their
homes later in the day.
The Spastic Adult Classes held at Bramley Hill two evenings
of each week finished and this was mainly responsible for the
loss of 4, 405 miles.
The daily conveyance of two children to St. Margaret's School
has been taken over by the Education Department Coach which
passes St. Margaret's each day on the way to St. Giles' School.
A saving of 3,000 miles is anticipated.
Mileage for the transport of Gas and Air Analgesia Sets for
the Midwives Service has decreased owing to more midwives having
either Corporation or their own cars.
It should be recalled that during the previous year (1958)
1,724 miles were travelled by the Service transporting personnel
to and from work during the bus strike which lasted for 6 weeks.
This strike was also responsible for a considerable number of
extra patients being conveyed to hospitals who would normally
have travelled by bus.
Once again during the past year the Service has been reQuested
by adjacent authorities to cover accident calls, and
these requests have been attended to whenever possible.