Doctors ‘Not Heard’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31109, 12 July 1966, Page 1

Doctors ‘Not Heard’

(From Our Own Reporter/ WELLINGTON, July 11.

Doubts whether a meeting in Christchurch of representatives of the Superintendents’ Association and Central Specialists’ Committee achieved a worth-while result are expressed in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Association’s bulletin.

“The right of doctors to be heard in the running of hos-, pitals is too important to pub-' lie welfare to be played about: with in this half-hearted manner,” says the bulletin. It says a statement by the meeting on medical advisory committees sets out

“That all hospitals should

have a medical staff organisation; “That superintendents should be members and that junior staff should not have voting rights; ‘•That the hospital boards should be entitled, through the superintendent, to obtain the views of the medical staff;

“That the superintendent should convey these views to the board and that, failing this, the staff organisation should be entitled to make direct submissions to the board.

“These recommendations fall short in three respects of the reforms which are needed in the public interest:

"(A) They do not envisage representation on the advisory body of local general practitioners who have to use the hospital

for their patients. Such representation is needed to co-ordinate general practitioner and hospital services and to safeguard the true interests of the patients in the running of hospitals.

“(B) These recommendations fail to impose a duty on the boards to consult with their medical staffs on matters of medical importance and leave it open to any board to ignore at will the opinions of their medical staff.

“(C) These recommendations do not provide for the publication of the advice tendered by the doctors to the board. In the last analysis such publication is the only safeguard which the public has against hospital boards who mistakenly or wilfully reject informed medical advice.”