RESPONSIBILITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 26, 9 May 1947, Page 5

RESPONSIBILITY

PATIENTS OR NURSES INTERESTING BOARD DISCUSSION Just where correct supervision as against the indifferent behaviour of the patients themselves, entered into the running of the Whakatane Hospital, formed the crux of an interesting discussion at the meeting of the Whakatane Board yesterday. The matter arouse out of the report from the Visiting Committee for which Mr J. P. Caulfield stated that again there had been little or no complaints from any patients. He mentioned that most patients were warm in their praise for the treatment they received. A suggestion from one patient concerned the state of the convenience attached to the men’s ward. The chairman was about to dismiss the matter by observing that small things.of this nature could usually be rectified by reference to the Sister in charge. When Mr Burt said he thought enough hadn’t been made of the subject. It was not good enough to have the Visiting Committee make such discoveries. They should not occur. •

“I suppose it will be me again,” said Mr McCready,- “but if we pay people to do a job why shouldn’t we have them do it. There is something wrong with his institution all the time. We shouldn’t have to discuss these small things at Board meetings but they must be corrected before these complaints stop.” Mr McGougan observed that it would be unreasonable to expect 100 per cent, service in the hospital. Mr McCready: Well Mr Chairman I’ve just seen a basin of filthy water flung out the window of the domestic quarters. That’s probably a habit. Is that the sort of thing we should expect.

The chairman: We happened to see that, but what. guarantee have we that a responsible member of the staff has seen it. It would be impossible to watch every junior all the time. The same thing applies to the complaint about the convenience. It would mean that some person should supervise it all the time. Don’t misunderstand me but we must be reasonable!

Mr Caulfield: I didn’t want to start a debate on this matter but it seems to me that the patients are mainly to blame themselves for this state of affairs irrespective of what supervision takes place!

The question of the time when the Visiting Committee should make its inspection was then discussed Mr McGougan being of the opinion that members should avoid ordinary visiting days in order to see the normal running of the hospital. It should be recognised at the same time, he added, that there were sections of the hospital where members could not go, -but he thought it better that they should see the routine running. Mr Suckling considered that committee members should move about with discretion.. Just because they represented the Board it did not mean that they could claim entry to any part of the hospital. The chairman promised that all points raised would be looked into.