HOSPITAL BOARD BREEZE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1392, 19 March 1912, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD BREEZE.

TRANSFER OF A NURSE. A QUESTION OF PROCEDURE. A question of procedure led to a heated and vigorous discussion at the. meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board on Thursday. The matron sent in a report in connection with the transfer of a sister to another department, and the chairman (Mr. P. M. .Mackay) said the report should Jmve fnvt gone to the honorary medical stall' a lid then on to the hoard. .Mr. IJ. Jl. l'olter said (he chairman was attempting to interfere with the control of the mat run. Scuno time ago they were regularly receiving complaints from the nurses of the institution, but for the last eight months they had received none. Everything was working satisfactorily under the control of the matron. Mr. .r. .1. Rutherford supported Mr. Potter's remarks. There was a time, ho said, when the committee were always having inquiries into complaints made by the nurses, but of late these inquiries had not been frequent at nil. Mr. Mackay: What has that to do with it? You can make an inquiry out of anything. Mr. Potter: It's a fact that tho nurses were resigning in a body. I don't want to bring this matter up again, but there seems to bo n deliberate attempt to interfere with the matron's side of this institution. Mr. Mackay (heatedly): There is a deliberate attempt of the matron to flout the chairman of the honorary staff. There it is in black and white. Mr. Rutherford again pointed out that previously tho nurses were resigning wholesale.

"From a different cause," interjected Jlr. Mackay.

Mr. Rutherford, continuing: We asked them the reason why they were resigning. They said they did not wish to give any reason.

Mr. Potter: "Since the new matron came on the scene there has hardly been a resignation." Mr. Mackay: "What is tho good of the honorary staff at all then? Is it the matron or honorary staff that is responsible?"

Mr. Potter: "The honorary stafF " Mr. Jfackay (interrupting): "Well, uphold them instead of pin-pricking. It is a disgraceful scandal tor any member of the board to tako up any position like that. What, is the good of having the honorary staff?" Mr. Potter: "Don't nlloiv them to interfere." Mr. Maekay: "This report should have gone- through (he honorary staff. If the matron chooses to flout " Mr. Potter: "I deny that." Mr. Maclcay: "You cau deny it as long as you like. You will give the chairman of the honorary staff credit for being an honourable man." Dr. Pabst (chairman of the staff): "Mr. Potter has said that there have been no resignations since the matron came. There have been four resignations of senior nurses within the last few months." The by-law bearing on tho procedure to be followed was then read by Dr. Pabst: "On the occurrence of a vacancy in tho position of sistor, the lady superintendent shall submit to the Medical Committee a list of the present and past charge nurses eligible for the position, and report which of them in her opinion is most fitted for appointment. If nono be suitable she shall state the fact. In the event of no such charge nurse being deemed by the Medical Committee qualified by seniority, experience, ability, and otherwise, the lady superintendent shall be asked to report "as to other persons who are in her opinion most suitable; tho Medical Committee shall report to tho board."

Mr. Potter said he was protecting the institution.

"you are bringing this institution into disrepute," paid Mr. Mackay, warmly. "You have been influenced," retorted Mr. Potter. "You nre showing bias; you havo beon influenced by the honorary staff; you have shown n certain amount of sympathy with the Medical Committee that you should not have shown." Mr.' Mackay: "Am I not keeping absolutely fair?" ■ Mr. Pottor: "I don't think so." Mr. Mackay: "Tho matron sends this report in at: 9.15, when it should have gone through the honorary staff. It will have, to go back to t'ie matron, and then to the honorary shift'." •' This ended the discussion, and the report will be dealt with as suggested by tho chairman.