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Staff.—The staff at 31st March, 1936, consisted of a Mechanic Superintendent and Engineer,
who is also Engineer to the Hospital ; one assistant engineer ; one fitter's mate ; and 17 motor drivers.
Since that date two motor drivers have been added to the staff.
There are thus 16 vehicles to be manned and a night service to be maintained with 19 drivers.
Of the 19 motor drivers two are wholly employed on vehicles Nos. 4 and 6 (Table 1), six are
allocated to seven school buses, six of which are in regular use and the seventh in occasional use, one
driver is on the Disinfection Van, and one on late duty for Mayor's evening calls. This leaves nine
men to man five ambulances and do the miscellaneous work. The work of these nine men is supplemented
by the spare time of the six men on the school buses, but when it is remembered that many of
the ambulance calls require two men, and that it takes more than 3| men to keep one man on 24 hours
per day, it will be understood that although the workshop staff and even the hospital porters occasionally
are used to assist the Service, that nevertheless some calls have to be refused or kept waiting
because staff is not available. It should also be noted that each member of the staff gets 14 days'
annual leave and that it is only exceptionally that any man is employed as a holiday relief. It should
further be noted that with Saturday and Sunday feeding of school children and the payment of wages
on some Saturday mornings, three buses are frequently in use on Saturdays and two buses every
Sunday. One motor driver is on the temporary list.
Special Note on Staff.
So far as the number of staff is concerned it works admirably except in respect of the ambulances.
It will be noted that there are nine motor drivers for five ambulances and that these nine men get
about six hours' daily assistance from the six men on the school buses. These six hours, however, are
all compressed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. It, therefore, follows that there are really
less than 10 men for five ambulances or less than two men to staff each ambulance throughout a period
of 24 hours, many of the calls requiring two men.
The London County Council's ambulance service is staffed on the basis of six men per ambulance.
It is becoming more and more necessary on account of the increased demands on the ambulance
service—ambulance calls have increased from 5,310 in 1934-35 to 6,592 in 1935-36, that is, by approximately
25 per cent.—to increase the staffing of the ambulances from two men for 24 hours' duty as at
present to something approximating the six men required for 24 hours' duty as in the case of the
London County Council's ambulances.
In all these circumstances I am of opinion that provision should be made in the estimates for
1937-38 to increase the ambulance staff to three men per ambulance for the 24 hours' duty of the
ambulance.
Garage.—There is now available at the garage at the Municipal Hospital accommodation for a
total of 31 vehicles allowing 200 square feet for each and paved spaces uncovered for approximately
12 more.
Storage Plant.—The petrol storage plant installed in January, 1915, is still working satisfactorily
and saves on present consumption about £40 per annum. This plant, which finished paying for itself
in 1919, by its saving in taking bulk supply has cost nothing in upkeep except the replacement of two
delivery hoses.
Workshop Plant.—This is in good order and effects a great saving, both in motor and hospital
repairs.
Cost.—The analytical table of costs prepared by the Finance Department is appended.
GEORGE F. BUCHAN,
Medical Officer of Health.