CITY HOSPITAL STAFF RESIGNS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1432, 6 May 1912, Page 4

CITY HOSPITAL STAFF RESIGNS.

A. SERIOUS SITUATION". (Bj Telegraph-Special Correspondent.) Auckland, May j. For wine lime past trouble has beett brewing amongst the nursing staff of the Auckland Hospital, and a climax hae W'l'ii reached in tha ousting of the law cliairini.il, Mr. i>. M. -Mackay, and the cuiiMijiHjnt resignation of the deputv lady MiporiuUMideiil am! .practically nil (he i.'.uh of nuraing departments, including t in night superintendent, 14 ward sisters, Ui» tliciitre .-i.-,Ut, imd iuui »tuu" nurseti. , the trouble has arisen as the result of irei|ii(.'iit disagreements between llio ma:.r.ii ami her sum', which 0011=1 Ai uf over 00 nurses. At various meetings of llii! Hospital Hoard matters affectin? the adtmmsiralioii and discipline of the institution have frequently i )M n before memuers, and tho position has steadily become J" 01 ; 1 ; "I" 1 *- I'ccently it was to tho board that the matron had suspended a number of sisters and aursos, and it beciiine evident that something would speedily hnvo to be done if tho t>ifairs of the hospital were not to lw thrown into a chaotic slate because- of internal strife, so far as the nursing staff was concerned. Tho position was therefore made an issue in connection with tho election <jf tho chairman of tho board last I'ur-sdav evening. It was known that the chair, man and four members of tile board were prepared to tako action in 0110 particular direction, and that the other live members of the bonnl had placed their sympathies in opposition to tho chairman, i'lio board was therefore equally divided, and when Messrs. Jlackny and' Schofipld were nominated hy the opposing faction) on tho board (hero wero five votes ))k'dg«d to each candidate. Accordingly their names were placed in a hat, arid that of Mr. Kchofield was tho iirst drawn. llio displacement of Mr. Maokny meane 1 lliat the action which some of the mem-' hers of tho nursing staff were anticipate ;ng- is not to be carried oat, mid occor-d-i ingly these wholesale resignntieas hav»' wen placed in tho hands of the board. J ho tumble became .-0 acute Inst month I that the lion. G. W. Eussell, Minister in charge of Hospitals, went very, fullv'iiilo the matter while ho was in Auckland. His interest in the petition tliat hae arisen is indicated bv tho followiiiß telegram sent yesterday to Mr. Macfcay:™ 'Rcfjret that you have not been re-elected to the position of chisirman, but «incereiy hope that your ability, energy, and tact' will.assist in bringing: alxiut an early settlement on a satisfactory .basis of the ■trouble (hat seems to overhang tho institution.—(Si ß ncd) Q. W. Ktissell."" lhe mstiep will come before the board av its next ineetintr, when tho following letter will bo considered:— "We, the undersigned members 01 tho Auckland Hospital nursing staff, respectfully desire to draw tho attention of the board to tho fact that we cannot, with justice cither to the in. stitution or ourselves,'continue to carry on our duties under tho management of the present lady superintendent." TllO twenty signatures of this communis cation represent practically the whole of the_ senior responsible officers of the insti-l tution, and include nurses who have had' wido experience in England, Australia, ■and all parts of tho Dominion. It is also* understood that many members of tho nursing .staff generally are supporting their ward sisters in the attitude they are taking.