A BREEZE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 43, 26 January 1945, Page 5

A BREEZE

HOSPITAL BOARD EXCHANGE UNFOUNDED CRITICISM CONDEMNED From the innocent subject of the visiting hours obtaining at

the Whakatane Hospital l a brisk exchange of a semi-personal nature suddenly i swept acrosls the hitherto unruffled surface of the smooth running procedure at the Board meeting last Thursday. Mr MeCready mentioned that the visiting hours between seven ancl eight in the evenings made it difficult lor persons from a distance to spend any time with their friends and suggested that the hour during the summer months- be fixed for half an hour later. He instanced one or two experiences of country dweller!* who had come without tea in order to visit a but who had baresly seen him for more than a few minutes. The Chairman observed that n<v one else but Mr MeCready seemed to receive this class of complaint though he agreed that the exten-» sion of visiting time should be rev ferred to the Superintendent. Mr Mitchell said he would like all statements made at the meeting; fully substantiated before they were#, laid. Mr MeCready: Don't, you start. You told a patient that I was only* here to stir up dirt. Mr Mitchell: Well, you bring him along and let me see him. Mr MeCready: He'll face you any yme. Mr McGougan: We've had a lot ot publicity which is not doing the Board any good. There are a lot of complaints laid and I for one feel that some may be worthy of investigation. It is ? however unwise to have them published before they are investigated as many of them have proved to be groundless. We set up a committee to deal with these things in a private way. I think that waffi> the- proper thing to do. I to investigate any reasonable complaint but. I want to see it "Substantiated first. We want" | to be sure of our grounds before it goes into the press and helps to be-r • little our hospital. The Chairman said he heartily agreed. Complaints in the past had been simply mentioned at the Board meetings and were then published in the press. It did not improve matters at the hospital and made the Board's business irksome. Mr Suckling declared that no complaint was any good unless it was backed up by the. truth.