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58
“ The Ambulance Service of London is now practically in the hands
of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. There are scarcely any private
Ambulances; and if, for example, a person suffering from small-pox
desires to be removed to the Highgate Hospital, or a person with
enteric fever or diphtheria, to a general hospital, there is the greatest
difficulty in obtaining means of carriage.
“ This being so, I beg to suggest for the consideration of the
Managers whether it would not be practicable to place disengaged
ambulances at the service of the medical profession and Medical
Officers of Health for the conveyance of such cases—either with or
without payment? The cases are few. and this is the cause of the
difficulty, for if the cases were numerous demand would create supply,
ambulances would be provided, and there would be no need for this
communication.”
The Managers in their reply stated that they were “ not yet
in a position to undertake the removal of any cases of infectious
disease beyond those which are to be received into hospitals under
their own control.” Commenting in my Annual Eeport for 1884
(page 86) on this reply, I said, “ I do not doubt that the Managers
will, in course of time, recognise the desirableness, and, I may
say, the propriety of doing what I suggested.” The time has
now arrived, and although the Managers appear to doubt whether
they “ have power to use their ambulances for other cases than
those contemplated by the Poor Law Act of 1879,” yet as they
are willing to take steps for obtaining “ the power to undertake
the general removal of infectious cases in the Metropolis,” I
cannot see any reason why they should not at once, as I recommended,
“ place disengaged ambulances at the service of the
medical profession and Medical Officers of Health for the conveyance
of such cases.” It is quite certain that no one would
raise objection to their so doing, by which means the improper
use of public vehicles would at once be put a stop to, pending
time and opportunity for legislation, to give effect to the present
views of the Board.
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR
“NON-PAUPERS.”
In several of my monthly reports, within the last two years,
I have had occasion to refer to the proceedings of the Asylums