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WELFARE—GENERAL
A considerable amount of Welfare Work is carried out by the organisations of the
St. John Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross Association.
The local headquarters of the St. John Ambulance Association are situated at
Harrington Road, Southall, and the honorary officers are Dr. C. J. P. Seccombe, 20, Western
Road, Southall, Divisional Surgeon; Miss F. M. Gibbs, 41, Waxlow Crescent, Divisional
Superintendent; and Mr. H. S. King, 44, Northcote Avenue, Southall, Divisional
Superintendent, Ambulance Division.
The work carried out is as follows:—
Home Nursing and Nursing Equipment. The St. John Ambulance Nursing
Division has been trained in Home Nursing. It also loans out nursing
equipment for use in the home from its Medical Comforts Depot in
Harrington Road.
Ambulance Services. The St. John Ambulance Brigade maintains an ambulance
that is available for private hire, and which is also used on public duties in
connection with the St. John Ambulance Brigade.
Welfare—General. Medical Comforts Depot, Harrington Road, Southall. The
St. John Ambulance Nursing Division has voluntarily staffed, without pay,
this depot every weekday evening for the past 25 years. During the year
534 articles—chairs, crutches, bed-pans, back rests, bed tables, rubber sheets,
etc., were loaned to the general public. Calls for help in providing equipment
were received and answered from hospitals and individuals in many parts of
London and the home counties. Every article loaned is cleaned and
disinfected on return to the depot. A small loan charge is made to cover
this service and the cost of repairs and replacements.
The Nursing Division exists for service to others, and throughout the years has
taken an interest in the welfare of the sick. It teaches the art of home nursing
and spreads a knowledge of First Aid and accident prevention. During the
year some 9,000 cases were treated by members who had had their training
in the Southall Division. The Division was able to send trained members
to help in the flood disaster at Canvey Island, as well as to cover the First
Aid requirements of many public gatherings. In addition to this it provided
voluntary aid in hospital wards.
The headquarters of the British Red Cross Society, Ealing Area Division, which includes
Southall, is Florence Nightingale House, 85, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W.5.
The Divisional Director is Mrs. E. V. Bruce, and the work carried out is as follows:—
Training Red Cross Juniors and Seniors in First Aid and Home Nursing, and also
training candidates for the National Hospital Service Reserve.
Occupational Therapy when requested for the disabled ex-service pensioners and
for Chest Clinic cases.
Hospital duty during epidemics.
Provision and carriage of books to T.B. home-bound patients.
Welfare visits which are increasing.
Hospital Library facilities and Picture Library.
Nursing Aid.
Nursing in the home.
Escort duty to and from hospitals for the sick, aged, blind people and children.
Medical loan, providing comforts for sick people.
Transport for the sick when requested.
Blood transfusion.
Civil Defence basic first aid training.
Accommodation in Red Cross Homes for chronic aged and sick.
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