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to receive whooping cough vaccine, the response of parents with
young children was very gratifying. Since October, 1946, 800
children have been inoculated and each child is now being visited
monthly by special investigators who note all coughs and colds
and who investigate any suspicions of whooping cough. These
visits will continue for one year more, at the end of which time it
will be possible to present conclusive evidence of the efficacy or
otherwise of the vaccines used. The Medical Research Council are
greatly encouraged by the attitude of parents in Tottenham to this
new method of settling problems of preventive medicine by scientific
observation of the children after inoculation, and hope that as a
result of this collaboration of parents, doctors and scientists, one
more infection will be added to the list of preventable diseases.
Ambulance Service.
The Health Committee of the local authority provides a twentyfour
hour service to convey any person suffering from sickness or
accident to hospital or clinics for treatment, or to their own homes.
The ambulance service is also available (without prior notification)
to convey expectant mothers to hospital for confinement.
This service is free to Tottenham residents in respect of any
journey within the Metropolitan Police Area, but charges of 2s. 6d.
and 5s. are made for return journeys from the North Middlesex
Hospital and other hospitals in the Metropolitan Police Area
respectively.
The accompanying statistics reveal a very heavy increase in
ambulance work, both in respect of hospital removals and maternity
cases, but administrative arrangements proved adequate and a
high standard of efficiency was maintained.
A considerable increase in staff was necessary, however, in order
to operate a revised duty rota providing for a 48-hour week in
accordance with the Middlesex Joint Industrial Council's conditions
of service which were adopted by the Council early in the year, and
subsequently the rates of pay and conditions of service of the National
Joint Council for Staffs of Hospitals and Allied Institutions. The
staff now comprises a foreman, 12 drivers (including deputy foreman),
and 12 attendants; an increase of 8 over the previous
establishment.