AMBULANCE DELAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 13, 15 July 1937, Page 11

AMBULANCE DELAY

HOSPITAL COMPLAiNT

The attention of the Free Ambulance Board was drawn today to the delay of the ambulance in removing a patient from the Wellington Public Hospital.

The board received a letter from the secretary of the Wellington; Hospital Board stating that early in the afternoon of July 13 a patient was kept waiting in the hospital basement for some time before an ambulance arrived to transport him back to his _ home in Rugby Street. The case was not an isolated one of its kind. Mr. F. C. Rolfe, superintendent of the Free Ambulance, read his drafted reply, which was to the effect that the ambulance was particualrly busy on that date and at that time. The patient required' two men to handle him, but all the ambulance men were engaged in bringing patients to the 'hospital.. The ambulance regarded it as more important to lake cases to the hospital. Its work would be aided, however, by prompt attention being given to cases brought in. One instance was cited where, a patient was brought in by .the ambulance from Otaki, and was kept waiting in the basement at a very busy time of the day for three-quarters of an hour. The letter was approved by the board. It was pointed out that patients should not be kept waiting in the basement unless the basement was comfortable. ' ' A member: But the basement is not comfortable. Mr. M. Marks suggested that a bit more notice should be given by the Hospital when an ambulance was required. In reply to a question as to whether it would not be more economical to have a car stationed at the Hospital, Mr. Rolfe said that to do so would be to waste the services of a man and a car. The chairman (Mr. D, J. McGowan): It is quite apparent that the matter occurs in the lunch hour. Those leaving hospital are not subject to such urgency as those going in, and in any case it should be the duty of the hospital to keep patients comfortable until called for.

The following donations were gratefully acknowledged:— N. J. McKay, £5 10s 6d; Wm. P. Walker, £2 2s; W. F. Newcombe and Mrs. E. Jessup, £1 each; F. Baker and Miss W. Dixon, 10s 6d each; New Zealand Shipping Co., Miss M. F. O'Neill, and E. C. Fairbrother, 10s each; Mrs. R. Hotchinson, Mrs. G. Gray, H. G. Gray, and M. Jones, 5s each; M. Daly, 8s 6d; Mrs. C. Poppe, 4s 6d; Mrs. B. Simpson, 2s; Crawley, Ridley, and Co., Ltd., £5 ss; Gear Meat Co., Petonc, £3 9s; Dunlop Rubber Co., £3 3s; Kemsley and Co. Pty., Ltd., V. M. Edgar, Harvie, Ltd., Manthel Motors, and L. M. Silver and Co., £2 2s each; E. F. and C. Association, £1 4s 7d; Victoria Laundry, Wellington Football Association, Colonel J. J. Esson, Vacuum Oil Co., and W. I. Clark, £1 Is each; Southern Cross Lodge, £1 Is; J. Hughes, 10s Gd; Mrs. A. Lemmon and Mrs. M. J. Wilkinson, 10s each; T. Wilson, ss; Messrs. Woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd. (proceeds of "Whopper" Competition), £28 7s fid; Johnsonvillc Town Board (annual grant), £27; Motor Vehicles Third Party Pool (annual grant). £25; Paparangi and Newlands Progress Association, £1 11s; Master and crew, s.t, Natone, 7s Gd.