New London GLC Ambulance Prototype Unvailed 1973

 1973

New Greater London Council Ambulance Service, Ambulance

designed by Anthony Smallhorn and manufactured by Reeve Coachbuilders Ltd

On 30 January 1973, Sir Desmond Plummer, Leader of the GLC, handed over a new prototype ambulance to the London Ambulance Service. 

 

The new ambulance, designed to meet the specifications of the Ministry of Health's Miller Report of 1967 and the Ogle Report, sponsored by the National Research Development Corporstion in 1969, will mean greater comfort for the patient (with its front wheel drive and independent suspension) and should be far more acceptable to the crew, in so far as there is full standing height inside and the step height into the vehicle is only 9 inches (as compared with an average of 23 inches in existing ambulances). 

 

Whilst the interior is scarcely bigger overall, the design of the new ambulance manages to provide much more room for and access to the two patients, with space for an attendant to sit at the head of the stretcher.

 

Under the Government's planned re-organisation of the Health Service, control over the London Ambulance Service will pass from the GLC to one of London's four Regional Hospital Authorities. Sir Desmond took the opportunity of expressing his concern over this proposal and hoped that the Government would have 'second thoughts about removing such a vital  service  from  the  control  of  the democratically elected representatives of
the people'.

Health Sevices (COHSE Union Journal) March 1973

COHSE Conference - Bridlington 1989

COHSE Conference, London Region
circa 1989
(Click on photo for better view)

COHSE London Region 1990

COHSE London Radical Nurses 1988

COHSE London Radical Nurses 1988 Leaflet

As London's nurses we demand action now.
We can no longer sit and watch as the Government dismantles the National Health Service.
Nor can we just wait while our profession is undermined with cuts, privatisation and low pay.

London nurses are sick of the governments policies which give priority to profit instead of people. Patients are suffering as a result and we can no longer offer the standard of care we are trained to give, Many highly skilled colleagues are forced to leave the profession due to low pay.




* No cuts in special duty payments

* Increase London Weighting to £2,000

*20% increase in National nursing pay

*No more cuts & no more privatisation

COHSE 112 Greyhound Lane, Streatham, London, SW16
COHSE: London's Nursing Union

London Blitz 1940

Daily Herald

Friday 15th November 1940

Night Raiders Bomb 2 London Hospitals
By Frank Smith Herald Reporter

Sixty old women, all bedridden chronic patients, were in bed in the ward of a London hospital last night when a high explosive bomb crashed through the building and exploded on the ground floor.The bomb fell before the alert was sounded.

Nurses, doctors, students and porters rushed to the spot and found one end of
the ward a, heap of smoking rubble with beds and patients buried beneath it.

Digging Into the debris with their bare hands, they soon reached some of the women, and within half an hour had cleared the block.

Three of the patients and a sister, however, had been killed by the explosion.

Four Fell

Four bombs fell on the hospital premises; three burst in the grounds, doing no damage.

It was the fourth which hit the chronic patients" block, a 'three-storied building, and plunged through two floors before exploding on the ground floor where the old women had been taken for extra safety.

"I cannot speak highly enough of the work of the staff," the Medical Superintendent told me.

“I soon reached the bombed block, but when I got there I found the nurses going calmly round the litter-covered beds soothing the patients”

"Male members of the staff were already searching the debris, and the co-operation of everyone was magnificent.

Remained Calm

"One end •of the ward was demolished, but there was another door the other end, and we were able to get the-patients out that way

‘All the patients are somewhere around eighty years old, and a few of them were in tears, but the majority remained calm all through the ordeal."

Houses near the hospital were also hit, and people were buried beneath the debris,

Bombs also fell on a maternity hospital in the London area. Mothers, babies and staff escaped.There were I8 mothers and I4 babies in a specially-protected ward on the ground floor,

Causalities were caused when bombs fell on a London school used as an A.F.S and Ambulance station

London Blackout;

5.39pm.-7.51 am

MOON RISES 5.52pm

NOTE: This sound like the bombing of the Royal London Hospital

Pete Marshall

Pete Marshall started his nursing career at St Margaret’s hospital in Birmingham which cared for mentally handicapped patients/clients.

He was a keen advocate of progressive policies with regard to the mentally handicapped. He soon became involved in the local COHSE branch becoming its Assistant Branch Secretary and publicity officer.

Pete, along with his close friend Andy Stackhouse organised a very high profile campaign regarding staffing levels at the hospital, which culminated in a huge vote of no confidence in the hospitals senior management.

Pete Marshall was appointed COHSE regional officer for North Thames & Oxford region of COHSE in May 1984, securing a high level of popularity amongst the COHSE activists on his patch.

He soon secured a high profile in the London media, around campaign such as Brent anti cuts campaign. Neasden hospital occupation and the 1988 nurses dispute (the later securing not only a significant pay rise for nurses but also a massive increase in London Weighting). Pete helped establish the London Co-ordinating commitee of COHSE and served for many years as London Health Emergency treasurer.

In the mid 1980's, Pete along with Bob Abberley were key in pushing through a mayor review of COHSE’s policies with regard to the Mentally Handicapped services (Learning difficulties). This led the union into having a progressive view with regard to the closure of the old large Victorian institutions. Without this progressive view COHSE would not only have lost new professionals entering this field, but more importantly could have seriously undermined any move to the community facilities.

Pete was a committed anti racists and fascist and was involved the infamous “Battle of Waterloo” against the BNP at Waterloo station.

Pete was elected to the Executive of the Greater London Labour Party and was a close associate of Jim Fitzpatrick (later MP for Bow & Poplar).

In June 1990 Pete was appointed Regional Secretary for the new COHSE London region, but on appointment stated in typical style that his best job was “renting deck chairs out on Bourenmouth beach”.

After the creation of UNISON in 1993, Pete struggled with the new channels of accountability, famously denouncing the wrong right winger in Labour Briefing earning him a famous but hilarious rebuke from Rodney Bickerstaffe General Secretary.

Pete turned down the opportunity to head up health in the capital and moved into UNISON’s energy sector finally moving back to the West Midlands, close to beloved football club, Birmingham City.

Rev Stanley Morgan 1870-1951

Rev Stanley Morgan 1870-1851

Rev Stanley J.W. Morgan was born March 1870 at London Poplar, Swanscombe, Kent.

Described later by COHSE General Secretary Cliff Comer as “small in stature, but big in human kindness ".

His early years seem to have been spent as the Greenhithe Congregational minister in Kent, a position he held for 55 years.

He was appointed as London & Southern Regional Organiser of the newly established “Federation” between the National Asylum Worker Union and the Poor Law Workers Trade Union in 1921 on a salary of £300 a year. Working out of the Poor Law Workers (later Hospital & Welfare Services Union) London office.

When the Federation was dissolved in November 1922 his services were maintained by the National Asylum Workers Union (later Mental Hospital & Institutional Workers Union).

In March 1922 Rev Stanley Morgan stood as the Labour candidate (with official union support) in the Parliamentary by-election at Faversham, Kent, being narrowly beaten by the Conservative candidate (2,579 votes).

He was elected to Kent County Council for the Dartford area, while living at 26 Cobham Terrace, Greenhithe, Kent as a Labour Party candiate.

On the eve of his retirement on 31^st December 1937, a dinner held in his honour at Shaftesbury hotel on August 11^th 1937, attended by Miss Wiese, Mr Blood, Mr Blackburn and Mr Southwell of the National Executive Committee.

The General Secretary George Gibson wrote of the Rev Morgan that “he had known him over a period of seventeen years during which time there has been no occasion for the slightest difference of opinion".

Mr E.R Blackburn (former President) referred to the Rev Morgan’s “grim but triumphant struggles with both the London County Council and the late Metropolitan Asylums Board. While Miss Weise praised his organizational skills amongst mental nurses.

The guests then presented Rev Stanley Morgan with a cheque for £116 by Mr F.J. Halinson Chairman of the London District of the MH&IWU union.

On retirement Rev Morgan remained a Labour, Kent County Councillor.

Stanley Morgan died on the evening of Sunday 16th December 1951 at the age of 81.

The COHSE General Secretary Cliff Comer also a staunch non-conformist stated on his death

“He was one of the most outstanding and striking personalities have ever met. Not everyone was able to take kindly to him because they did not take the trouble to get to know him. To know Stanley Morgan was to respect and love him as a brother”.

And Mr Cliff Comer also recalled advice Morgan gave him on being appointed a full time officer in1933 “When you come up against prejudice, as you undoubtedly will, do not stop to argue with it; leave it to rot at the roadside where it belongs, and go on your way”.

Comer also recalled Rev Stanley Morgan stating “Comer the world is mad, It will neither have Jesus Christ, nor a sensible economic system to live under”.

Notes:

Rev Stanley  J W Morgan, 26 Cobham Terrace, Greenhithe, Kent (address 1936)

During the heavy air raids on the South Coast during WW2, Rev Stanley Morgan played a key role in organising Sunday church services inside the chalk cliff tunnel's used as air raid shelters .

Syd Chester: "The accordionist in the Greenhithe Tunnel " I learned that every Sunday, during the height of the Blitz, services were held in one of the chalk tunnels  at Greenhithe. The vicar was the Rev Stanley Morgan and the congregation was huge. For these people prayers were important. It was typical of that spirit of defiance shown at the time."

Reverend Stanley became Chairman of the West Hill hospital (previously known as King Edward Hospital) in 1910 and remained as Chairman for the next 25 years. He was much respected and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the poor in Dartford.

In Kent a day center at Barn End, Wilmington, Dartford seems to have been named after him. Stanley Morgan House

And a road in Dartford was named after him

Surely, Rev Stanley Morgan deserves a fitting tribute from the people of Dartford, a people he so tirelessly served.