[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Montgomeryshire County Council.

  • Montgomeryshire (Wales). County Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Montgomeryshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SITTING-CASE CARS: Details 1959 1958 1957 J ourneys Patients Milee.ge Cost Average cost per mile Average cost per patient mile Cost per journey Cost per patient Miles per journey Miles per patient 5,129 14,775 218,627 £7,999 7.72d 2.6?d £1..11s..2d lOs.lOd 48.4 16.8 4,176 11,176- 206,660 £6,653 7.72d 2.88d £1. ,11s. ,10d 11s..lid 49.4 18.4 3*925 8,912 174,016 £5,749 7.93d 3.49d £1..9s.Id 12s JJd 14.3 19.5 The following table shows, the breakdo\7n of Type of Patient11 convoyed:— Details 1959 1958 1957 Admission 360)1,129 )l,602. )lf2A0 Discharge 685) ) j Transfer 184) ) ) Out-Patient Pby sio therapy )S,574 ]7,672 Total 14,775 11*176 L - 8,912 As can be seen from the above statistics, the Sitting-case Car Service conveyed 3*599 cases more in 1959 than in 1958 and 5*863 cases more than in 1957* This added burden results from the number of cases attending for OuA— Patient treatment and Physiotherapy, especially the latler, which has increased considerably during the last few years, not only in this County, but also in other Counties. Although a rise in cost of £1,316 resulted in 1959* the cost per journey and cost per patient show a decrease of 8d and 1/ld respectively in oomparing 1959-1958. Again an interesting faotor is the steady decrease in the miles per patient from 19.5 miles in 1957 to 16.8 miles in 1959, which figure some authorities agree, is an indication of the efficiency of the Service* Journeys are co-ordinated to the fullest extent consistent with the needs a.nd comfort of the patients. Although this tends to increase the mileage of indi- vidual journeys, the total number of journeys is reduced considerably with a consequent sav^la cost. This 00—ordination of journeys has meant that the drivers (both volunteers and taxi proprietors) have been asked to carry more patients on individual journeys at the sane mileage rate, and has also meant that such journeys often take more time. The County Health Department has received the fullest co-op eration fi^n all drivers. It has been found over the past few years that the number of cases requiring conveyance to local hospitals for treatment has declined (exoept for physiotherapy cases). It appears, therefore, that the future trend will he to send more patients to hospitals in surrounding Counties where specialist treatment can be given, thus resulting in further demands on the Sitting-case Car Service, as these patients are continually called bank to these hospitals for Out-Pa.tient treatment, instead of receiving such treatment by their medical practitioner at a local hospital.