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SECTION 27: AMBULANCE SERVICE.
The organisation of the service remained unchanged during the year 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.
The Acting Ambulance Officer and his assistant, who are on the staff of the Health
Department, are responsible to the Medical Officer of Health for the day to day administration
of the service, advance booking for ambulances and ambulance cars, and act as liaison officers
with the other two heads of services involved.
Operational vehicles are deployed as follows:-
Ambulances:
Stratford Fire Station: 1
Plaistow Fire Stations 1
Sllvertown Fire Station: 1
Transport Depots 4+1 reserve vehicle.
I
Ambulance Cars:
Transport Depot: 11
The latter are provided by the Borough Engineer from the Council's passenger car
fleet, and include one 8-seater vehicle designed specifically for sitting case work.
Transport is provided only upon the request of doctors or hospitals, except in cases
of accident or emergency. In addition to conveying patients to and from hospital, the
service provided transport for the "gas and air" analgesia outfits used in connection with
the Council's Domiciliary Midwifery Service. Arrangements are made for patients undertaking
lengthy Journeys to travel by rail, in those cases where this is in the patient's interests;
It is also more economical and convenient than providing an ambulance for the whole Journey.
A special stretcher is used, which fits above the seats in the compartment; British
Railways offer special facilities for ambulance patients, including free reservation of seats
or compartments, and assistance for patients who have to change from one train to another en
route.
As in previous years, a close and friendly liaison has been maintained with hospital
authorities, the ambulance services of neighbouring authorities and with other departments
of the Corporation.
The charts below provide a diagrammatic representation of the work done by the
service since 1949 (its first full year of operation); it will be seen that the demand on
the service (in terms of the number of patients carried) has increased very slightly - by
little more than 1%, while the mileage travelled has decreased slightly. It seems likely
that the demand, which had increased steadily until 1954, has now reached its maximum, and
"ill continue at its present level in future years.
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