Wadham's Series IX Ambulances

Ron Henderson looks at a type of ambulance which was popular during the 1970s.

Several discussions took place in the 1970s, between ambulance service operators and manufacturers, regarding the design of ambulances and their facilities for carrying sick and injured patients. One thing that was recognised was that the stretcher equipment was habitually placed on the nearside of the interior saloon and always over the rear wheel boxes.

The reason for this was to provide space for an attendant’s seat at the front of the saloon, behind the cab. It was claimed that having the stretcher so positioned subjected the patient to more discomfort from bumps in the road than if it were on the offside of the vehicle and situated within the wheelbase.

The other subject constantly discussed was that patients were always loaded head first, because the oxygen and other equipment were traditionally stored at the front. It had been proven that less discomfort from harsh braking and rapid acceleration would be accorded to patients when loaded feetfirst. This is a problem which still awaits addressing.