[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Bexhill U.D.C. Borough.
- Bexhill (England). Urban District Council.
- Date:
- 1951
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Bexhill U.D.C. Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
18/52 page 16
![SECTION B GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA The personnel of the medical, nursing and sanitary staff of the borough is incorporated at the beginning of the report. Laboratory Facilities Bacteriological and pathological examinations continued to be carried out by the Public Health Laboratory Service at their Brighton laboratory, under Dr. J. E. Jameson, Director. Ambulance Facilities Since 5th July, 1948, Ambulance Services, previously operated by the Bexhill Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, became the responsibility of the Local Health Authority, viz. the East Sussex County Council, whose scheme includes Bexhill. The agents of the authority are the St. John Ambulance Brigade, who provide drivers and attendants, while the servicing and repairs of the vehicles are usually done by a firm of motor engineers. In Bexhill this is the practice, and the stationing of the vehicles at a public garage ensures prompt repairs and attendances to calls, roadworthy vehicles and regular servicing. To the Medical Officer of Health has been delegated by the County Medical Officer of Health the duties of regular inspection of the vehicles to see that they are roadworthy, adequately equipped and kept in a clean and tidy manner and, in addition, he advises the staff on the legitimacy or otherwise of doubtful calls, especially long-distance ones. The Ambulance Service is responsible for the calls in its area and, in addition, will assist the adjacent areas to deal with calls if called, upon, provided these calls do not originate outside the County Council area. In other words, if Bexhill ambulances take cases to other parts of the county then these cases, as far as return is concerned, become the responsibility of the Local Health Authority of the area to which they are taken. It is a pleasure to be able to report that the service has been most efficiently run since the commencement and thanks are due to Mr. A. Russell and his staff for the attention to and housing of the vehicles, U) the Transport Officer, officers and men of the Bexhill Division of the vSt. John Ambulance Brigade for their courtesy and efficiency on all occasions, and to the members of the Bexhill Ambulance Brigade f'omrnittee under the able chairmanship of Alderman Ashby and its hardworking Secretary, Mr. G. Mitchell, for ensuring the smooth working of the service and dealing with domestic problems as they arise. 'file nos])ital Car Service caters for non-emergencies and for those cases that do not recjuire to be conveyed on stretchers, etc., and is n,‘crihted from private car owners who are paid on a mileage basis. 'I'llis service is sujijikMnentary to, but an integral })art of, the Ambulance Service, and is administered from the Red Cross Headquarters at 28](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28921690_0018.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
