JOCKEY'S DEATH.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17119, 14 April 1921, Page 9

JOCKEY'S DEATH.

AMBULANCE BRIGADE'S ALLEGED NEGLECT. EEPOET BY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER. The regrettable incident wlhich occurred at the Easter Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, when the ambulanco men on duty on the Pucearton racecourse were alleged to have been absent when an accident occurred to one of tho jockeys, was discussed at last night's meeting oi the General Committee of the St. John Ambulance Association. The matter came up when the following letter irom Mr Alex Poyle, president of tho Canterbury Jockey Club, was read: — Your application 10 a donation towards tho fund 3 of the St. John Ambulance Association was placed before tho committee at their meeting on April sth. In reply, I am directed to"point out that the ambulance arrangements at the recent meeting were distinctly bad, and in consequence an injured jockey was left unattended for some considerable time, as not one of the ambulance men could be found. Eventually, this boy Was brought in in a private car, and the ambulance driven to the hospital by a member of tho Jockey Chib. In tho case of the boy who died, Dr. Scott left strict instructions that he was not to be allowed to leave the casualty room. The committee has very good reason to believe that his instructions were not carried out, owing to the absence of the nurses, and it is more than likely his leaving was the cause of his death. This state of affairs brought the CJ.C. in for a considerable amount of adverse criticism, and the committee does not feel justified in granting a donation until Gomo satisfactory explanation is received. The following report by Mr \V. W. MeKinney, Assistant Commissioner in charge of tho St. John Ambulance Brigade, was read:— With regard to Mr Boyle's letter, I would like to state: — * General.—(l) That the.tnen of the Brigade have given their service* to tho CJ.C. ior the past twelve years, am during that time have never received onoSenny personal payment, neither do they If&k it. The trained nurse 3 who attend at the CJ.C. meetings are paid for their woik, and in some other centres the racing clubs have to pay for tho attendance of ambulance men. (2) That the ambulance arrangements were exactly on that day as they had been for tho last ten and during that ten years this i 3 the first complaint received. (8) That these arrangements were not made by the Brigade. Nino years ago I personally pointed out the fact that it would be wiser for the van to follow races .round on the inside of the track, so that nothing could be overlooked, but this was rot allowed. I understand, after this accident, when I told tho officer in charge of the duty party that Dr. Scott authorised them to do so, it was again objected to, but that Dr. Scott insisted on it being done. Since I first suggested it nine years ago I consider it has only been through good fortuns that trouble like what has just happened has been avoided, and it my suggestion then had been adopted this trouble could not have occurred. Special.—(l) In tho case of the jockey overlooked it was reported to me by ths officer in charge that ft jockey fell, but got up again and walked off, and after waiting tho officer allowed the men to go to lunch, and that jyhile they were «t lunch th?y could not be found. (2) In the case of. the jockey who died, the working arrangement is that the ambulance men bring any injured to the casualty room, and that there their duty ceases, and the paid nurses take charge except if thev are required to take the men to the hospital. Therefore, if Dr. Scott gave orders that the man was not to be shifted from the casualty room tho paid nurses wore in charge of him (not the Brigade), and they should have seen that the doctor's orders were carried out. As matter of fact, I had already some years complained tp Dr. Scott that these nurses were often absent from the room when our men brought accidents, and that as n. consequence the men had to wait with tho patient at the room, and be lute gatting back to the course for the next race,"whereas if the paid nurses were always at their post our men could hand over at once and get back to 4ho course. Dr. Scott agreed with this, and said it would bo seen .From, the. abovo it ..will be seen that: (1) We ourselves saw nine years that the ambulance arrangements could be improved on, but our suggestion was not accepted until the accident occurred, and only then when Dr. Scott said ho would bo responsible for it. (2) That what happens in the casualty room, has nothing to do with the Brigade men, as it is' entirely the province of the paid nurses. In conclusion, I must add that no one wa* more upset over the occurrence than our men, arid have to point out that freedom from similar trouble has* heen duo partly to good luck and partly to the manner m which our men attend to their work -under arrangements which we have always believed could be improved, but which improvement was not allowed until after its necessity was shown. Further, that the CJ.C. ought to betr in mind that while they have to pay tlwir trained nurses, our men hare mover had one-penny personal payment; they not only attended the meetings to do what they could free but attend one night a week at our own rooms in order to l«arn by practice how to do this work. Donations which in the past the CJ.C. has kindly given us have been used to equip the men with uniform* to work in, and I feel certain now that the club know Hie exact position of affairs they will readily give their donation The only alternative to the free service of the Brigade if the club is still dissatisfied is for them to do as the Wellington Club does and pay for ambulance attendants of thehr own as well as for the trained nurses, whfch ZM cost them far more than donations.and not provide any bettor sen ice. T>r M Louisson said he thought tUiat too much stress was laid, in the roporß, on the payment of the ambulance men. Thev sliould not forgot that the Can-terbmy-Jockey Club had'piovided the, ambulance. ■ . ■ . ~ Mr MeKinney: I am stressing the point that the men do tlio work tor nothing.- The Wellington jockey Club provide their own ambulance and pay The chairman-(Lieutenant-Colonel F. B Creswell) said that he had just seen the report, and thought-that it should have been submitted to him before the meeting. ■ The question of the.payment of the men should not have entered into the report at all. '.,.,., Mr H. J. Hoddmott said that ho was in charge on the occasion, and was in a good positign to watch the races. Ho saw the jockev fall and immediately got to the ambulance. On their way they got the signal that all was right—tho injured man had got up and was walkin»- off tho course. A certain amount of "time having been lost, he instructed tho ambulance men to get their lunch. The signal that all was right, was given bv his.brother, who was stationed on tho course, otherwise he would not,, perhaps, havo considered it final. A little later Mr Boyle had told tho speaker that there \ya,s ho one on th> ambulance, and when he explained matters, Mr Boyle practically . refused to accept his explanation. they had wanted the ambulance men they were oulv a few chains away getting their lunch: if anyone had sung out in the lunch r'o'om, "The ambulance men are wanted," they would have been on the spot in two minutes. Replying: to the chairman, he said that the ambulance men got their iunch between races. • . • Mr McKmncy, replying to the chairman, said that he sent his report to the secretary of the Association; what was done with it afterwards was no concern of the Brigade. Tho secretary stated that a copy of the report was sent to Mr Boyle. Mr MeKinney pointed out that tho ambulance men had no control over tho ambulance vau, which was in charge of tho driver provided by the l{ink Taxis. If the Association gave the man in charge of tho ambulance men control over the van he would undertake that duty. As things were, the ambulance men had nothing to do with the van in any shape or form. fyt. Louisson: One man should be with the van in case of accident. The chairman said that? he could not agreo with Mi McKinney's statement. Dr. Louisson said that all they had to do was to instruct the Rink Taxis that tho van was under the charge of the senior ambulance man. Mr MeKinney: If that is done it will be all right. Dr. Louisson: That should have been dono before. Mr MeKinney; It is the Association's

property, and not under the control of the Brigade. . ~,.,. ,-. ~ The chairman: The whole thing should be in charge of the senior officer of the Brigade. • ~ , ~ Mr McKinney pointed out that the van was on the* course as a part of the club's equipment, and the ambulance men were the only men on the course who did not receive payment from the club; thev did not want payment as individuals, but thought that the .Association was entitled to a contribution from the club. Dr. Louisson: I think you forget that iho club has been very generous in the past, and has a right to a say in the matter. Mr McKiunev fiaid that lie recognised that, hut the club was, apparently, unaware of the fact that the trained nurses were in charge of the casualty room, and practically insinuated that the Brigade was responsible for tho jockey's death, whereas it was the trained nurses. After further discussion it was decided, on Mr McKinney's motion: "Tht't whenever the ambulance turns out <m any occasion at which the members of tine St. John Ambulance Brigade? aro present, tin; driver is to tuke his infttructions from the senior man of the Brigade present."