View report page

31
of preventing the developments or occurrences. This could be one of
the most important aspects of the work of the officer to be appointed to
the staff of the Old People's Welfare Committee.
LABORATORY SERVICE
The examination of clinical material of public health significance is
carried out free of cost to the patient and to the doctor at the Central
Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London, N.W.9. (Tel. No.
Colindale 6041 and 4081).
The clinical material is collected each day by a van from the Laboratory,
calling about mid-day at the Harrow Hospital, "Kynaston Court
and the Central Fire Station, Pinner.
The following is a summary of the examinations of material from
this district carried out during the year: nose and throat swabs 106;
faeces 98; sputum 5 and miscellaneous 2.
AMBULANCE SERVICE
Although the County Council decided that the Fire and Ambulance
Service should be run as one combined service, the combination of the
two services was limited to organisation and administration. Fire appliances
are manned by firemen especially enrolled and trained for that purpose,
and ambulances are manned by ambulance driver/attendants and attendants.
At their meeting in October, 1958, the County Council decided on the
separation of the Fire and Ambulance Services and the transfer of the
control of the Ambulance Service to the Health Committee with the
County Medical Officer as the responsible officer, with effect from April
1st, 1959. In February, however, they decided the Fire Service should
continue to operate the accident and emergency branch for a further
twelve months from 1st October, 1959.
The administrative headquarters of the County's Ambulance Service
is the Ambulance Headquarters, The Mall, Kenton (Tel. Wordsworth
Ambulances specially equipped to deal with accidents and similar
emergencies are kept at twenty eight fire stations throughout the county.
These ambulances and their crews who are trained in first aid, are ready
to respond to accident emergency calls made by dialing 999.
The sick removal branch deals with the conveyance of patients to
and from out-patient clinics and non-urgent admissions to and discharges
from hospitals, etc. The ambulances are based at the ten sick removal
repots in the county. No. 6 is at Imperial Drive, North Harrow (Tel.
"pinner 8900). Requests for transport are made to the local depot.