NEARLY 21,000 AMBULANCE CALLS A YEAR.
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London Ambulance Services—No. 2. The London County Council's Service. By Capt. H. Lyon Thomson.
pOWFR TO establish an ambulance service for the Administrative County of London was obtained in the Parliamentary Session of 1909, under the Metropolitan Ambulances Act, 1909, and the service was inaugurated in 1915. The L.C.C. obtained in their General Powers' Act, 1913, power to enter into agreements with the Metropolitan Asylums Board, the Port of London Authority, and others for the use of the premises of these bodies. The L.C.C. make a subsidy to the Hampstead Hospital, in return for which the COuncil utilizes its ambulances for cases in the Hampstead neighbourhood, when that ambulance is not engaged in hospital work. In this way an eConomical service is maintained in this area without the expense Of a special ambulance station. . • The Council's ambulance service is under the supervision of the Fire Brigade Committee, the chief officer of the Fire Brigade, being the Officer-in-Charge, Mx. A. Ft. Dyer. The executive officer of the ambulance department is Captain B. M. Cutbush.
The scope of the service is to convey persons suffering from accident or sudden illness from the street or public places such as railway stations, theatres, factories, workshops, etc., to hospitals, infirmaries, or their homes. The service is not in ordinary circumstances intended for the removal of persons suffering from illness in private houses, this duty being undertaken by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, St. John Ambulance Association, and private firms. • Cases of accident occurring in private houses are accepted. Urgent parturition cases are removed from private houses, places of business, etc., to hospital on the application of a duly qualified medical practitioner or a certified midwife, provided that either a certified midwife or a doctor accompanies the case.
The map on this page shows the positions of the L.01.0. Ambulance Stations. The M.A.B. stations arc also indicated, as well as the areas served by the Corporation of the City of London and the Port of London Authority, so that the inhabitants have now, for the first time, a complete indication of their ambulance services. It will be seen that the stations are exceedingly well distri buted, so that in the event of a, call an ambulance has not very far to travel to the scene of the mishap.
The seven L.C.C. ambulance stations are situated as follow :— Fulham-239, North End Road, Fulham, S..W.
Bloomsbury-15, Her brand Street, Ta,vistock Plate, W. C. Shoreditch-5, lvi o ntc 1 ar e Street, Bethnal Green, E. Lee-142, High Road, Lee S.E. Brixton-5, Buckner Road, Acre Lane, Brixton, S.W. Elephant—St. George's Market, Elephant and Castle, S.E. Poplar—Woolmore Street, Poplar (under construction). Twelve motor ambulances are employed, eight being 17-25 h.p. Armstrong-Whitwor ths purchased in . 1915, and four 25-30 hp. Crossley's R.F.C. model purchased in 19191920.
The bodies of the ambulances are enamelled white and bear the inscription " L.C.C. Ambulance" with the coat of arms of the London County Council emblazoned in blue and gold above. Two windows fitted with tinted glass are provided in each side with ventilators above, and there are also windows in the front. and back. Double doors of the whole width of theout at the back. The interior is roomy a.nd accommodation for three patients in a reposition. All ambulances are fitted with_ pneumatic tyres—single in front and twin at the rear.
To deal with any description of accident, the ambulances carry such equipment as may reasonably be expected to be required—oxygen for cases of drowning, gas poisoning, etc., sterilized surgical instruments for use by surgeons for amputations, chloroform, a case containing antidotes to poisons,
Barnes" attachment (devised by a former officer-incharge for lowering eases from a high building or raising them from areas) and hot water.
A continuous 24-hour service is maintained at each of the seven stations, supplementary ambulances being in operation at Bloomsbury and Elephant and Castle stations during the rush hours of the day. The statistics show that the ambulances are most busily employed between two o'clock and five o'clock in the afternoon, and between nine and eleven in the evening. The crew of each ambulance comprises the driver and two attendants skilled in the rendering of first aid.
How to Summon an Ambulance.
The telephone exchange is asked for "Ambulance," no number being reciuired. By arrangement with the Post Office authorities, if the call is from a call office no fee is charged and such calls are not debited against private subscribers who may allow their telephones to be used.
On communication being effected with headquarters, particulars as to the locality of the accident or illness are given, and a motor ambulance is at once despatched to the spot accompanied by trained attendants with stretchers and first-aid equipment. First-aid is rendered where necessary and the sufferer is removed expeditiously to the nearest hospital or similar institution.
An essential feature of the ambulance scheme for London is the use by the police in uniform, for the purpose of summoning ambulances, of private telephones. An indicating tablet (A) is placed upon premises where, by the courtesy of the occupants, telephones are available for the purpose.
To give London some idea of the increasing magnitude of the demands on its ambulance service, the number of calls made annually is shown herewith :—
1915, 1916. 1917: 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. 2,405 9,244 12,632 15,911 18,182 19,414 20,879 It is a matter for regret that the very interesting set of charts showing the daily and hourly number of calls which are maintained at headquarters do not lend themselves to reproduction in black-and-white in the pages of The Commercial Motor.