Better Ambulance Service Is Hospital Board’s Aim

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1948, Page 2

Better Ambulance Service Is Hospital Board’s Aim

The question of the ambulance seryice and the difficulties in the way of effecting an improvement in the emergency call system under the present conditions were again discussed at last night’s meeting of the Grey Hospital Board, when further reference was made to the controversy concerning the time that the ambulance took to reach the scene of the recent Tainui street accident. AX the conclusion of the discussion no motion was passed, but the chairman (Mr A. Mosley) remarked that it would be seen from the discussion that the matter had not been shelved and as soon as it was possible to bring about a better service than was being given at present, every consideration would be given to it by the board.

The subject was inti’oduced by Mr J. Stokes, who said that he did not want to revive the old newspaper controversy, but merely wished to ask whether the board had investigated any further the matter of speeding up its ambulance service. He had noted that there seemed still to be a little doubt at the inquest concerning the victim of the recent Tainui street accident. Was it the intention of the board to investigate the possibility of having the ambulance driver handier in the, “inbetween” period? The managing-secretary, Mr W. H. J. Watson, said that, insofar as having a man on 24 hours a day was concerned, the matter had not been advanced any further as the accommodation for a man under those conditions simply was not available at the hospital at the moment. Of course, one solution was to increase the number of people available as drivers for the ambulance and to increase the number of porters. The matter of accommodation for the driver when on call but not on duty was not simple, as there was none available at the hospital at the present time. Mr Watson added that when attending the recent hospital officers’ meeting in Christchurch he had discussed the point with other officers. In many cases the ambulance services were not conducted by the hospital boards at all, but by the St John Ambulance. Other hospitals did not, in every case, have the driver living on the premises. In one case, parallel with Greymouth, a taxi was sent for the porter when he was required to drive the ambulance. Accommodation Problem “I am not in a position to report much progress, but when our staff accommodation is improved we may be able to have a driver on the premises all the time,” concluded Mr Watson. Mr Stokes said he appreciated what the secretary had stated, but it had occurred to him that at night the nurse on'duty in the Victoria ward might have to visit the ‘'shacks” for three or four minutes and might thus m|ss a telephone call for the ambulance in her absence. He suggested that it might be possible to have some system in the form of a light to let fier know that the telephone had rung, as it might be some considerable time before the automatic exchange was installed. The situation referred to by Mr Stokes would not be entirely covered by the automatic exchange, said Mr Watson. At the same time, a bell which

could be heard throughout the ward might be a nuisance to patients “Is it not a fact that the St John Ambulance Association, upon the establishment of its own centre m Greymcuth, proposes to take ovei’ the ambulance service?” asked Mr W. Fisher. . The chairman: That is their idea. It will have to be considered by this board if such a proposal is made. ‘‘This business is complicated,” remarked the surgeon-superintendent. Dr S. Barclay, “and I might remark that quite a number of months ago I brought the telephone system up, on the question of urgent calls coming in at night. Mr Watson and I have been inquiring into alternative arrangements and there does not seem to be a foolproof method to ensure that night calls will be answered other than by having a night ’phone operator. Perhaps he could ‘double up’ by going out on the ambulance on receiving an urgent call for its services. “Only Foolproof System” “It did appear to Mr Watson and myself,” added Dr Barclay, “that the only foolproof system would be to have a night telephone operator. I feel that it is very complicated. We have had some public criticism to which, in this case, we had a-perfectly good answer, but I feel that we should try to do something before something occurs when we have not.” The chairman: As far as the recent accident ' was concerned, it was definitely established that the telephone was answered immediately it rang. The two members of the nursing staff on duty were alongside the phone in the ward kitchen when it rang. Mr Stokes said that he desired to make it clear that he did not suggest that there was any delay in the answering of the ’phone on that occasion.

No motion was forthcoming and the chairman remarked that it could be seen from the discussion that the matter had not been shelved and as soon as there was an opportunity to bring about a better service than at present it would be given every consideration.” I think that can be fairly stated,” concluded Mr Mosley. “That will satisfy the people’s minds,” commented Mr Stokes.