HOSPITAL FEES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 720, 20 January 1910, Page 6

HOSPITAL FEES

DISCUSSION ON ADMINISTRATION. -.~ ■ ■ \ CAN ECONOMIES BE EFFECTED ?\ : : An item respecting fees contained in a report received by.the District Hospital Board at yesterday's meeting from the matron of the Otaki Hospital was;', responeible for an interesting discussion on patients', fees, collection, and hospital administration in general. The lead was' given by Mr. "J. W. Gardener, representative for' the Horowhenua district, 'who offered some strong, criticism on the system under,. which: hospitals were administered. ''..' . ■'-~'' . .' Referring to the report, the chairman asked,that it should'bo made an instruction to , the secretary to prepare for the board's , next, mooting.a detailed statement of the means, of- the. patients or oxpatients in arrears with their fees, and, on the suggestion :of ; Mr;; G. Frost, a statement of, the board's .'assets. ■ Mr,Luke pointed out' that considerable difficulty was \ experienced in . : getting, the money.in. . The secretary had been .instructed to exercise his full powers in the ' collection. of. fees,, and; in every; case either; the'pationts -or their guarantors, had been' billed. Many in. the sanatorium' were • unable : to , make the necessary : payments—that was .one phase-of • the'country'« . policy, of hospital:■ administration; am: ;■■•' .". great extent, an unavoidable ; one.' : ;, speaker , contrasted"the difference ■ i .;• ■' ftp cost of keeping patients in the. hospital—wh«ro the. diet was plain and. the medical. expenses small, to the sanatorium, where .the average, cost -peri patient was', nearly 30s. per' week. Dis-; crimination-had been practised as fiir aii it was .possible ■ and profitable.. Th<> in-! terests of the residents;'of the district: and ; the subscribers were well: safeguarded "■ |.--ontsiders were' never allowed ■to 'exploit local interests;- • A--: financial - statement covering , the wholeVof the board's>operations would be prepared before the reiiis were over to the new'-' boarii.' •Those patients who had.liquidated their liabilities ■ 'received Mr.: \ Luke's kind acknowledgment. ! ■- . ■. "-. '~ . -J- "

,;.';:.-'.■.; ■ Wasto or Pauqerism. ..-■■.'.'■'-..'■■'.'.; ; : Mr. J. W. Gardener:(Horbwheraia) said ho was not. surprised; at the announcement regarding patients' payments;.-His idea- was. that : all'-.patients who. had left the , institution owing, fees should be. traced—it should not be enough for each one to say that he'"or she could : not' pay .- 60 per. cent, of those'Avho. received treatment were, .able; to pay for .tho'samo. A,comparison between' Auckland and Wellington in regard:; to receipts and • expen-, diture was quoted iih favour', of ,the. north,ern r city, .where:.patients' stayed on an' ■average a;day longer l than 'in Wellington.y In his opinion' the whole adminis-' .tration reqnired reorganising. -Mi , .'■ Garwho also: criticised the new Act, .said: that .no good , would be brought about ■until members of boards were ; paid. for; .their, services—honorary ■ members were not a 'success.' •-The present- system of hospital administration :;was,iauch , too expensive, ■ and- the - public, were asked to too mncn. ": Either , there was waste in .the;' management, /or.'-; the r popu--lation-was becoming ; more pauperised. , .

V A Belieyer In..' Experts. ; : Mr. C. J. -.Crawford, alsoi took part in the discussion. ■ In -; respect to: general ■ ad--ministration he said , that ■ certain '■ mem-; bers of the' board and the staff had taken :the press'remarks : ..in'.a' personal sense,: .whereas ; they had.been...directed.:against the system.. .He was' a-.etrong .believer.in ;esperts and highly-paid officials,' and he thought that-'when, the new board-was constituted: it; should' follow ; ,theadvice r . of Dr. ■ Valintine,' 1 ■ the... Inspector-General , ■• ofHospitals, and; ; ,nbt go ; : m- ■ for.. cheap administration;" ; ; The ; ■ best'- --meii.':! only: should-be and they should be paid;'salaries' commensurate ,with '~'their reeponsibilitiesi/'iThough it;was'a chari- , table, institutipnv it: did" not. necessarily: foßow that they should .pay. low-wages; The. .Wellington': Harbour : Board; -'City' : Council; '■ and; other ./bodies-followed- the' Sraotice of-employing ,, experts, and'paid :, i iein'.'iccor'dmg'ly'r^-'the' : ''best '■ 'orgaiiisation' .was. the sdcoess of' hospital' administra,fip^i'i;He';;aid'.|b,FrKs L rSe.'with"the prevW 'speaker that'mbmbers should, be'paid. Themoney should .go .towards", establishing , a better' system' of 'administration.. ■•, • ;'.'■'''.-'I

. ■ The chairman pointed out-that most of •the patients/at, the!.-hospital .we're, from .the) district' represented. by^Mr.; Gardener.: As one.who had a long experience'in\these, matters .he considered, that the. new" Act would- effect a great ''■.; improvement.- It would'bring about, the much-needed amal'gamation- of the social. and.- hospital work, charitable ; -aid,.';Mdigeneral. hospital attendance, -and. a';cheaper.rand. more eflioient'.'administration.; ~.>.:•!. ■;'■; [j'-'-.K;.--'.. '■' Mr. : Ji J.' Devine" was ..also.of opinion, that the Act :was a good 'one,- and under, its of the present anomalies, would disappear.:.■■-.-■ :;"■'■'■':'■'.•■.:.■■"':'.■'..■■',-•■;■,