GISBORKE HOSPITAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16145, 25 February 1918, Page 7

GISBORKE HOSPITAL.

IU2PORT OF COMMISSION

, (PRESS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.) "WELLINGTON, February 24. The report of Mr H. "V\ . Bishop reding the Gis";ornp Hospital, > ;ona'ders that tho institution in tho past ffaS n ot efficiently conducted, that the jjggpial provides ample accommodation which is perhaps unduly strained at time s of severe epidemics, but this -hould be provided for without unduo straiDj that tho eo;t to tho ratepayers jn comparison with other hospitals is reasonable, that tho by-laws are amply sU gjciont to maintain discipline, and there is no reason to believe that they axe not being enforced. Regarding the reported unrest, the report says there has been an <-xtraordinary amount of unrfst in the institution for a consider- - 3{j ]o number of years. Tho trouble, probably commenced sis years ago, owjn.r to the most deplorable lack of discipline- The then matron had out-lived her usefulness, und the new matron had a long up-hill struggle, but little by jittle °he broko down tho opposition, and although tho difficulties had not yet entirely disappeared, the whole tone of t he institution had improved. Mr Bishop pays a high tribute to the courage and grit displayed by Miss Tait, tho present matron. The Commissioner also consid crs that some of the unrest is due to the action of some reactionary members of past Boards, who outnumbered tho "reformers," who, if they had had a free hand, would havo obviated the necessity for this enquiry. The Board now however, was considerably changed, and' might still be further changed without loss of influence. Mr Bishop pays tributes to the work of the past two chairmen, and believes that the present chairman is also likely to carry on the good work. He acquits the public Health Hospital and Charitable Aid Department of any blame in the matter, and finds that the honorary staff is in no way responsible for the aniest at the hospital. Ho considers ' that if the matron and medical superintendent work together, only good can result, hut that that has not been the case in tho past. There is 110 doubt that tho medical superintendent has veen greatly overworked, and his physical health suffered in consequence, lie being not at the present timo in such a condition of health as to make his retention desirable. Ho has done efficient work "the ■ past, but_ that efficiency has not been continued. A change of some sort is needed. Evidence was given of tho neglect of the patients by nurses in the past, but none of theso nurses are now on the staff of tho hospital. There have been eightytwo resignations from the staff in the past five years. There was in the past no effective discipline of the nursing staff maintained by the responsible officcis, but this is gradually being remedied. The training of pupil nurses is being conducted entirely in accordance with the regulations. Lectures are regularly given by tbe medical superintendent and nurses. There are seven private hospitals in Gisborne. with fifty-eight beds, which is more in proportion than towns cf similar population.' There is no satisfactory evidence as to the amount of the interest of medical men in these hospitals, except in one case. On the other hand, Drs. "Wilson, Reeve, and Kalilenberg have no financial interest in any private hospital. The mere fact tnat medical ipen have a financial interest in private hospitals at once raises a suspicion in cases of unrest in a public hospital as at Gisborne, some of which may be due to interested. parties keeping it alivo for ignoble motives. If so the thing is so contemptible, mean, and utterly ignoble that one may reasonably hesitate to identify members of an honourable profession with anything fo dastardly. Mr Bishop considers no medical man who is interested in a private hospital should be eligible for a seat on a Hospital Board. He says ' that one cannot ignore tho fact that the general public rightly or wrongly attribute the greater part of the unrest being kept alive to the action of one man who made himself busy in espousing the cause of individual nurses who came under the matron's ban and by talking in indiscreet manner about what ho would and woull not do. • Such criticism had much better been kept for the Board room. He considers that with a new experienced hospital superintendent working amicably with the matron nothing but goocl should result. The Commissioner, in concluding, hesitates • to express any opinion upon the propriety of retaining tho new regulation under the Nurses' Registration Act, which provides that the training cf pupil nurses may not be terminated without tho consent of the Registrar of Nurses or whether it is indeed ultra ■ vires. And a great deal can be said both for and against its retention. It may be mischievous or the reverse. Mr -Bishop prefers to leave it at that.