Emergency Hospital Service facts for kids
During World War II, the United Kingdom set up a special system called the Emergency Hospital Service. This service was run by the government. Its main job was to make sure doctors and nurses could help people hurt during the war. It also organized treatment for them in hospitals all over the country. Sometimes, people called it the Emergency Medical Service. This name usually referred to the doctors and nurses who worked for the service.
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Getting Ready for War: Planning Hospitals
Before the war started, it was clear that the UK needed a better hospital system. The old system wasn't ready for a big war. In 1938, the London County Council helped the Ministry of Health plan medical care. They also planned ambulance services.
One of the first steps was to check all the hospitals. This included mental hospitals and other care homes. They needed to see how many beds were available. A report in March 1939 showed only about 80,000 beds. These beds could be used for people who needed long-term care.
To get ready, the government did a lot. They added almost 1,000 new operating rooms. They also got 48 million bandages and dressings. Plus, they added 250,000 new beds in special "hutted annexes." These were like small, temporary hospital buildings.
Who Was in Charge?
At first, John Harry Hebb was the main director. Later, Sir Francis Richard Fraser took over this important role.
How the Service Worked
When the war began, the Ministry of Health started the Emergency Hospitals Scheme. This plan included 2,378 hospitals. They expected many more air-raid injuries than actually happened. They thought they would need up to 67,000 nurses.
Many hospitals were moved from cities to the countryside. So, the service also set up ambulances. These ambulances moved patients between different places. Special hospital sections with 300 or more beds were set aside for military use.
Managing Hospitals Across the Country
The Emergency Medical Service set up control centers. These centers helped manage the hospitals. The hospitals still ran themselves day-to-day. But the Ministry of Health decided what kind of work they did. The government paid for the costs. They paid full costs to charity hospitals. They paid 60% to city-run hospitals.
There was a system of area management. Group officers controlled staff and equipment. These resources were shared among different hospitals. London had 68,000 EHS beds. It was split into nine areas. Each area had a large teaching hospital. These hospitals connected to base hospitals up to 50 miles away.
Doctors first worked full-time for the service. Later, they were paid a fee to work part-time. They also helped with extra duties when needed. Similar plans were made for dentists, pharmacists, and eye doctors.
Who Could Get Treatment?
By 1942, the hospital service helped many different groups. A 62-page booklet explained who could get care. Here are some of the people they helped:
- Soldiers and other service members who were sick or hurt.
- Civil Defence workers injured on duty.
- Home Guard and Police War Reserve members injured at work.
- Children who were evacuated without their parents.
- Older or sick people moved from shelters.
- Important war workers living away from home.
- People with broken bones who were essential for industry.
- Sailors from the Merchant Navy.
- People who were evacuated or homeless.
- A few other special cases.
Special Treatment Centers
The service also created special treatment centers. Some focused on plastic surgery. Others helped people dealing with stress from the war. A national blood transfusion service was also set up. This service collected and distributed blood.
Laboratories were also created. They helped diagnose diseases. They also distributed products to fight epidemics. The centers for war stress were set up first. This was because leaders worried about public morale during air raids.
In 1943, it was estimated that 3,000 hospital beds were lost in London. This was due to bombing. More beds were lost in 1944 from flying bombs and rockets.
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