COMMONWEALTH TAKING OVER ALL HOSPITALS

Chronicle (Levin), 24 May 1947, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH TAKING OVER ALL HOSPITALS

' — "" - Received Friday, 8.15 p.m. CAXBKRRA, May 23, . The Coinmonweaith has derided; to .fake over the control and direction, 61. all hospttals in. "Aust-ralia, 'said . Al F .Ghifiey today, ' This is part.of a. schetnc under which the Government will tackh Lhe job of relievtng the aCute sliortagc of hospital accommodatibn. Tlie changeover will take place by gradilal steps after the Comfnpnwealth tays dovvn a national poliey. For the tiftxe Peing tlie control of private hospitals will probably be restricted to condi tions for the training of nurses, em ployment and general st.andards. Th»('ommoiiwealth is acting under social services powers acquired in the last referendttm and is taking over from the States which have until now niono polised the hospital field. In the Senate today, the Minister ot Health, Senator McKenna, said the scheme would control' conditions of entry, training and registration of all nurses. As far as possible the t.'ommonwealth would apply uniform pay and . conditions to the whole cursing profession. The Alinister of Inunigration, Mr. Calwell, has arranged for 200 trainui! nurses to cotne from Britain in the next few months, followed by 150 so'on after. He also sought to release medi--al orderlies and trained personnel from dispiaced poies in Britain. tmrnakbrt