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SECTION 27 - AMBULANCE SERVICE.
The organisation of the Service continued unchanged, with responsibility divided as follows:-
Medical Officer of Health organisation and administration.
Borough Engineer provision, maintenance and manning of vehicles.
Chief Officer, Fire Brigade operational control of ambulances.
Ambulance Officer ambulance car bookings, advance bookings for ambulances.
Operational vehicles consist of 11 ambulances and 11 ambulance cars, the latter being provided
by the Borough Engineer from the Council's passenger car fleet. These vehicles are deployed
as follows
Ambulances.
Stratford Fire Station 1
Plaistow Fire Station 4
Silvertown Fire Station 1
Transport Depot 5
Ambulance Cars.
Transport Depot 11
Transport is provided only upon the request of doctors or hospitals, except in cases of
accident or emergency.

The number of patients carried during 1953 shows an increase of 10,073 compared with
the preceding year, of which over 7,000 were conveyed by ambulance cars. It is pleasing to
note, however, that the increase in mileage and number of Journeys was not so great in
proportion; in fact, the ambulances carried nearly 3,000 more patients than the previous
year, with only an insignificant increase in mileage and a reduction in the number of journeys
made - a state of affairs which reflects favourably on the work of the control staff.
It should be borne in mind that the present divided control of the Service imposes
severe limitations on co-ordination of the work of ambulances and ambulance cars, which tend
to operate as virtually independent services. Within these limitations, efficiency is of a
reasonably high order, but the integration of the Service would probably result in a material
improvement.
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