HOSPITAL CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 60, 27 March 1945, Page 5

HOSPITAL CONTROL

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE SITTING

Interesting sidelights on the question of Hospital control and rating were provided at the sit_ ting of the Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry into Local Government in Whakatane last Wednesday. As each speaker touched upon the question of the growing burden of Hospital rating they were asked numerous questions by members' of the committee. The upshot was a fairly sound cross-section of local body opinion as it obtains in this district. Mr B. S. Mayor of Whakatane, at the conclusion of his evidence was. asked by Mr R. Coulter M.P. if he considered the establishment -of a base hospital at. say— llotorua would be ol' benefit to the community. Mr Barry: I don't think so. The area to be covered by the whole Bay of Plenty is too large to give efficient service.. Mr Coulter: You know that the Hospital Board's Association is not in favour of the abolition of the hospital rate. Mr Barry: "* r es. Mr Coulter: The Government is already carrying a large share of the Hospital Rate. Don't you think the Board should be able to finance fairly on the subsidies paid them. Mr Barry: The Board has a job to do. It is expected to provide accommodation for the sick whatever the cost is. To Mr Mr Barry agreed that liis council favoured the stabilisation of the hospital rate at the. 1938 figure, but admitted the unfairness of total if local representation. was still demanded. Discussing the reason for the increasing number of patients in hospital since the (introduction of Social Security Mr J. L. Burnett (chairman ol' the County Council) said lie considered it largely pyschcologicaL The. effect of making the service free would encourage many to enter the institutions who in the. ordinary 'course of events would be satisfied with home treatment. Hon. W. E. Parry contested this opinion claiming that the main reason for overcrowding was that so many persons who previously could not afford to go to hospital were now taking advantage of the free treatment. The allegation that the hospital rate was likely to impoverish the farming community Avas likewise refuted by the same who added that the strange feature about all the agitation against, the tax, was that people in both town and country were today not only paying a record for rate collection, but were also wiping off their arrears. Mr J. Anderton M.P. made the most emphatic statement regarding the establishment of domicilliary services in connection with hospital administration of the. future. He was examining the AVhakatane Hos-< pital Board's representative Mr H. C. McCready when he asked: "If larger hospital areas were establish, ed, to Avhicli were attached domicilliary services which could look after a certain percentage of the sick in their own homc-s, do you think it would save the hospitalisation of a big percentage who now enter hospitals." I Mr McCready: It would empty half, our hospitals at once. Mr Anderton: If some such scheme as that were introduced do you think your Board would be in favour of it? Mr McCready: The scheme seems sound enough. But you missed the 'bus badly last time.. Mr Anderton: What do you mean? Mr McCready: Well you can't call Social Security a success! Mr Anderton: The scheme was alright. It was not the Government at fault —it was the medical men of this country who refused to co-oper-ate. with us. Now however Fin glad to say there arc a number of doctors who are coming forward and standing by us. Now } if you got your rate stabilised. . . . Mr McCready: We want it paralysed—not stabilised. Mr Anderton: Don't you think the scheme I have outlined would be beneficial. Doctors. and nurses would become members of your Board together with local representatives. Think of trained jiurses going round your district and attend-! ing to the less serious eases and reporting back each meeting as to their progress? Mr McCready: It would be alright —but where is the money to come from. These things sound alright until the finance starts to come into it.