HOSPITAL CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1433, 7 May 1912, Page 5

HOSPITAL CRISIS.

NURSING STAFP IN REVOLT, A STRIKE .THREATENED* (By Telecrsßh—Presß Association.) Auckland, May 6, Affairs in connection with the administration of the Auckland Hospital have readied a crisis. Matters progressed a stage further this morning, whoa there was placed in the hands of the board all ultimatum signed by every certificated nurse in tho institution, with two exooptions. Tho communication, which was received by Mr. Garland, secretary o! tho Hospital Board, read as follows:— "We, the undersigned members of the Auckland Hospital nursing staff, respectfully desire to draw the attention of the board to the fact that we feel we cannot with justice either to tho institution or ourselves, continue to carry on our duties under tho management of the present lady superintendent." Tho signatures include those cf tho ■deputy ladv superintendent, the night superintendent, nil tho fifteen sisters in charges of wards, and fen of tho twelve stair nurses. It is stated that tho two who have not signed are absent on holiday. This means that tho ultimatum delivered to tho board is backed by all tho certificated nurses on tho Auckland Hospital staff, and it is, moreover, 6tatcd that if their protest is without avail, practically the whole of tho eighty odd uncertificated nurses in tho institution will join in what would be tantamount to a general strike of tho nursing stuff. Tho now chairman of the board, Mr. H. Schofield, when seen this morning, said that the action of the nursing staff had come as a surprise to him. A report had previously boon sent in by the chairman of the Medical Committee, commenting unfavourably upon tho work of Miss Griffiths as lady superintendent, but this was tho first indication by members of the nursing stall' that they were dissatisfied. Mr, Schofield added that he was to-day asking the nurses who havo signed this ultimatum to formulate their grievances, and these would bo in turn submitted to tho lady superintendent for her reply. Both statements would then conio before the board, and the next thing to l>3 done would probably be to set up a special committee to go into tho whole business.

Miss Griffiths, iad.y superintendent, when interviewed this morning, snid that until she was placed in possession of the dotaiSs of the circumstances upon which the sisters and staff ' nurses Had based their letter to tho board, she was at a Joss to understand why this action should have been taken. Since slic took up her duties as matron ten months ago she had always made a point of inviting full ventilation of any real or fancied grievance upon the part of any member of the staff, and had regular office hours between 3 and 11 a.m. for the purpose of negotiating such business. In connection with her administration, thcro were occasionally small matters requiring investigation, but so far as she was aware they had always been satisfactorily adjusted. She certainly know of 110 reason why the members of the staff should feel justified in appealing to the board. She was aware that the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintme) did not approve of her appointment, and in some Tespccts it had been very up-hiJl work for her, particularly as tho Medical Committee hod also been highly antagonistic to her in connection with certain matters pertaining to tho administration. In every respect slis had genuinely endeavoured to do her best, and she could only think that .members of the nursing staff had been inspired to tako this attitude against her.

On being told that it was reported that cue nurses were up in arms because of unsatisfactory working arrangements, which even included as much as twenty-nine hours' duty at a stretch in au isolated ward, tho superintendent snid that she could unhesitatingly give such statements an emphatic denial. Miss Griffiths added that she would welcome an inquiry into affairs of her department, and trusted that, in order to get fully ot tho bottom of affairs, tho inquiry would bo of sufficient scopo to cover thd administration of the institution as a whole.