Celebrating 60 Years Of The London Ambulance Service

2025 marks the 60th anniversary of one of London’s most essential services: the London Ambulance Service (LAS). Since 1965 the LAS has served the people of London, saving countless lives. 

I recently paid a visit to their headquarters near Waterloo Station. They have some interesting information outside the headquarters, available for all to look at and a couple of vintage ambulances to admire. 

I will tell you a bit more about what you can see there and a history of ambulances in London.

Early Ambulances

Prior to the late 19th century, when London started developing effective bodies for city-wide governance, ambulances in the way we would think of them today were non-existent. If you were injured on the streets of the London Dickens would have known, for example, you would possibly have paid to be taken in a horse drawn hackney cab, or possibly a sedan chair.

Firefighters and policeman could use a fleet of ‘litters’, wheeled stretchers, to take the injured to a nearby doctors or hospital. 

There were specific examples of vehicles designed to carry infectious patients. For example, in the early 1830s, a specially designed carriage was developed to specifically transport cholera patients to the hospital for isolation or for the dead to be taken to be buried. These were designed with rollers on the floor and wide doors for loading. 

An Ambulance Service Starts To Develop

This was developed in a more organised sense, when, in the 1880s, the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) established six horse drawn ambulances across London. This was initally again for patients with infectious diseases but they often, unsurprisingly, ended up carrying anyone that needed them.

The MAB was created under the Metropolitan Poor Act of 1867 to deal with London’s sick and poor. 

It was also around this time, in 1888, that the Order of St John in England was established in St John’s Gate in Clerkenwell and the first St John Ambulance Station was established. I have written about the history of St John’s Gate here. 

In 1902 a steam powered ambulance was introduced. It travelled at 5mph, making it slower than a horse and carriage, but it could carry eight stretchers at once rather than just one or two.

It was only two years later though, in 1904, that the first petrol powered ambulance was introduced. This one could carry one patient at 15mph. 

In 1915, during World War One, a more official London County Council Ambulance service was set up under the control of the Fire Brigade. By mid 1916 this was entirely staffed by women because all the young men had been sent to fight. 

The Local Government Act of 1929 then transferred the control of the ambulance service directly under the stewardship of London County Council . 

Ambulances In World War Two

As tensions increased before the outbreak of World War Two, in 1938, the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service (LAAS) were established to assist the LAS as part of the civil defence service. They predominantly helped to look after and transport victims of the Blitz bombing campaigns. 

Cars and delivery vehicles were hastily converted into ambulances. Initially they had around 5000 people working for them, again predominantly women. 

On the LAS website they highlight two particular women called Ann Armitage and Betty Leverton.

On the first night of the Blitz on the 7th/8th September 1940, bombs caused widespread destruction across the East End. Incendiary bombs led to intense fires and only three ambulances were able to get through.

These three ambulances, one of them attended by Ann and Betty, drove through an oil spill and fire in West Ham, in their wooden ambulance, to rescue the women and children that had been trapped at the Tate and Lyle factory. Not only that, they went back another four more times to rescue as many as possible, saving around 300 lives. They were quite rightly given British Empire bravery medals for their deeds. 

Early NHS Ambulances

In 1948 the National Health Service formed and this included ambulances for anyone who needs one, free at the point of use. 

Outside the headquarters today you can see a 1949 Daimler DC27, one of the first fleet of 120 ambulances.

It has a low floor and wide loading area. These were used until the late 1950s. 

Also in the 1950s, the London County Council service moved to a site on Waterloo Road. They then moved to its current headquarters in 1973. 

The LAS as we know it today was formed in 1965 from nine existing services in Greater London. This was after the London Government Act merged boroughs into the 32 boroughs that we have today and shifted responsibility from local health authorities to the Greater London Council. 

It was that same year that another of the forecourt ambulances was brought into action: the 1965 Morris LD.

It was shorter, lighter and more manoeuvrable around London’s tight streets. The little bell you can see on the front acted as the siren.

The Service Today

In the 1980s various significant technological improvements were made. They, for example, got their first defibrillator and helicopter services were launched.  

In 1996 the LAS became an NHS Trust and by 1999 the control room was the largest in Europe dealing with 3500 calls a day 

Today they answer about 2 million calls a year, so, on average 5000-6000 calls a day. They attend around 3000 emergencies a day and there are 400 ambulances on the streets. 

The Memorial Garden

Another nice detail on the forecourt is the memorial garden for staff or volunteers who have died in service or in retirement. 

You can also see the below plaque in the garden.

Long may this vital service, that has saved so many lives over the years, continue. Make sure to check out the vintage vehicles and information boards if you are ever passing by.

You can check out their website here for more information.

Thank you for reading! More blog posts on London’s history below.