HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 98, 12 July 1946, Page 5

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

JULY MEETING OF BOARD PATIENTS APPRECIATION Hospital matters were discussed at the July meeting of the Board yesterday, when Mr J. Mullins presided over the following: Messrs. F. J. Burt, C. A. Suckling, L. Buddie, J. P. Caulfield, A. F. McGougan, J. A. Mitchell and the Secretary, Mr F. Prideaux.

JFor the Visiting Committee Mr Caulfield said that he had received no complaints whatever. In fact almost every patient was full of praise for the treatment received. The chairman commented upon the number of people who had gone out of their way to pass on their appreciation. He was supported strongly by Messrs. Burt and McGougan who said that patients had described the service in the institution as really wonderful. The secretary remarked upon the unusually large number of appreciative notices appearing in the local paper. Messrs. Mitchell and McGougan were appointed visiting committee next month. Slamming Doors ' A point raised by Mr McGougan, who spoke with some-warmth, was that in the new ward, he had been astounded at the noise of the continually slamming doors. “I’m positively disgusted with’the conditions there today,” he said. “Here we pay for a first-class modern building and yet when it is completed, we as laymen are expected to make the commonsense improvements. Not long ago we had to widen doors to put beds in the rooms. Now we find that from a corridor of cubicles every door slams when it is closed. It means that we have to put springs on all those doors and that means a lot of expense. If the architect is not to blame I don’t know who is!” The Board decided to refer the matter to the Works Committee. Stand-by Plant Congratulatory remarks were made in reference to the engineer’s report to the effect that the stand-by plant had been operating satisfactorily on several occasions during the month. Mr Buddie stated that the present engineer had taken a personal interest in the much-abused stand-by plant which was now operating and coming up to expectations. Poultry Run Suggested In the course of the Head PorterStoreman’s report, the writer emphasised the need for a poultry run to be established by the Board for the purpose of ensuring a steady supply of eggs and poultry and meat to the institution. He offered to give his services at no extra cost to the Board and estimated an initial outlay of £l3O. The subject was fully discussed & it was decided to refer the matter back to the Works Committee for investigation and report. A motion expressing the Board’s congratulations to the three nursing trainees who had recently been successful in passing their examinations was moved by the chairman, who added that though the number was small, it was a start and he hoped to see a greater number coming forward from time to time in the future. T.B. Hospital Site The circular letter from the Matamata County Council criticising the selected site for the erection of the proposed Chest Hospital at Hillcrest, Hamilton, was discussed by the Board, the consensus of opinion being that as laymen members were more or less compelled to support the suggestion of the committee of experts who had fixed the site.

Several members expressed warm criticism of the site but felt that until such time as the Board was actually pledged to the project it had no right to voice its opinion. On Mr Buddie’s motion it was decided fo offer no comment at the moment. Control of Annexe From the Registered Nurses’ Association came a letter pointing out that the Whakatane Annexe was now classed as a 23-bed institution, which would mean that under the new scale of salaries the Sister in charge should be receiving £320 per anum plus £2O allowance. It was appreciated that at times only 12 beds' were occupied but there were other times when there were much higher figures together with broken time and it was suggested that the full rate should be met.

The secretary stated that he had replied pointing out that the revised salary scale was paid throughout the hospital and that the Annexe salaries were paid on the occupied bed basis of which returns showad less than 12. The whole matter was deferred

pending receipt of a reply to the secretary’s letter. Two separate applications for increased salaries from the domestic and maintenance staffs were referred to the Finance Committee.