HEATED INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1439, 14 May 1912, Page 5

HEATED INQUIRY.

—$ . . ■ . MATRON AND MEDICGES. UNHAPPY AUCKLAND .HOSPITAL* DAY OF WARM WORDS. ONE DOCTOR LEAVES THE ROOK ' (By Telegraph-Press Association.) ~ Auckland,* May. 13. i The inquiry into the charges preferred against lh<» matron of the Auckland Has- , ; pitiil (Miss Griffiths) Ijy the medical committee of (lie board (of which I))'. Pabst i* eiuu'rm.au) was opened ,tliip. morning.... Tin- following members of tho board wera present Messrs. 11. Hcliofiekl (chairman), ]'. 11. Matktty, I'. .1. 11. Kllisdon, J. .lenkins 11. .). Coyle, P. J. Nerheny,-J. ]l. Poller, .1.. S. Dickson. J. G. Rutherford, and V. l)yc. Dr. Pabst (chairman of (lie medical committee) and Hiss Griffiths (matron of the hospital) were also y present. "'lie chairman, in opening the inquiry, said that if was a conlinimlion ei' tho inquiry which had been opened some five .'. or :■ ix weeks ago regarding oertaiu statements made before ihe hoard by tlio chairman of ihe honorary staff (Dr, Pabst), . against the lady snsrorink'iidenl'. 'One--'-meeting had been held, and the only clause deali with was No. 1. llr. Sehofield impressed upon the bonrd . the necessity of conducting 'the' Inquiry'' ~ ill n calm and temperate manner. Ho proposed to bctfin with Clause 2 (containing an allegation of impertinence' and insolence to ,superiors). Dr, Pabst asked formally for the suspension of the iiiatroii from her duties during the inquiry. The chairman said that lie would ask the matron to instruct; tho assistant lady '* superintendent to take charge in tU'o meantime. The matron intimated that she had already done .so.' Co .siderable heat was shown during a discussion wliich followed, and, although at one stage it seemed (hat,a definite... start iv!tli_ the subject of the complaint* had been indefinitely postponed, a'beginning was at last made with complaint •' No. 2. This alleged insolence on tho < part of the matron towards her superiors. The point in dispute was trivial enough. , Dr. Pabst contended that By-law 1.15 " made the lady Gunerintendcnt responsible to the medical committee for the efficiency of the nursing staff. Hiss Griffiths expressed the • opinion that the board was tlio "superior officer" ■ V to which she had to look for instructions..;, Evidenoe was given by Dr. Maguire and Sister llmhl. Nurse Rmld's-oitly relevant evidence concerned her ment by tlso motion as sister. Incidentally; she mentioned I, that? since February £2, seventeen maids had left tho home, and, further, she stated, that she. had had a most unhappy time. Ifr. Dickson pressed for a statement ns to how many people Sister Rndd had consulted about tho subject matter ol the .inquiry. The sister replied that she had discussed , the matter- with tho sub-matron, and with Dr. Maguire. "His Liver Out of Order,"

Mr. Coyle shid that, in view bfVSfr. '• Dickson's question, it would be interesting. to know what members of the board had: been repeatedly closeted with the matron , during flie last month. He trusted that 1 this aspect of the affair would be very thoroughly investigated. Ifr. Nerheny took very 6trang exception to Mr. C'oyle's remark. Evidently Mr. Coyle's liver was very rntich out of order. There was no treed for these threats.. Mr. Coyle; Wait and see. A pnssagc-at-avnis followed between Mr. Nerheny and Dr. Pabst, tire former accusing the doctor of "having left his conscience in Sydney." Sister Itudd, in explaining an incident in connection with the'broaching of a lock, said that she had gone to the matron, and asked for linen, and had stated that it was urgently required. ■ The. matron had thereupon accused her of telling lies. Miss Griffiths denied this accusation. Dr. Pabst asked that Nurse Williams bi> called, in order that Sister Rudd's statement might be corroborated, The chairman urged that they should get on with the business in the order decided upon. Dr. Pabst:. If tills board is anxious for the truth, and not desirous of. suppressing things, if will call Nnrs® Williams. Nurse "William's, when, .called,...steteA' that on Easter- Monday, while playing her balijo in her i'ootii, she heard the matron declare, to someone- on the floor, in ft lotiil- voice, "It's a lie." Tho matron indicated that she would ■prefer to reply to (his, and oilier points of evidence at a later singe. • The chairman, at 12.30, suggested a luncheon adjournment.

' "Don't You Dictate to Mi. H Dr. Valjst:' Might' I now suggest.-" Hint j the matron bo suspended on tho evidence of the two nurses? , The doctor's rcqnwt was received with . _ lornl. laughter from half Hie bnnrd members present. ' Mr. Nerheny: It wonkl be more sensible to ask iliat you be sitspendod on'rtfa' strength of the nUitAde you have taken up this morning. , ■ "■ ■ Mr. Maekay: You have no right to Sa? that. T. Mr. Kerhonv: Don't jm'.daro to ~dictate to we what I slionW ray. '.Von ran shiver and shako as imicli as you like, but von need not try to frighten me. The - chairman staled {hat the/ •; would proceed with a thorough uvves.hgn-, tion, ami the inquiry was accordingly adjourned. The Charge sf insolciice, The board then 'proceeded'' to InVtSstj-" gato a complaint .Hint, ou Icbruary .1, the matron had replied to the chairman of the medical committee that it waa "wasting her time to ask her such que* ' ]lr, Pnbst remarked that the matron'* reply virtually made no reference to the actual complaint of insolence and 1m- • pertinence. This complaint arose from •tlio incident of tho admission of Mirse Hay to Ward No. Miss Griffiths explained tlmt, after baTiiig given -in explanation on two occasions, she was asked for a written re|ior(. She had spent much valuable time in drafting a report, but, when she pet-son-bllv submitted it, Dr. l'abst ret used to. receive it. Miss Griffiths considered that Dr. Pabst was obviously desirous ofwasfc" ins her tiino. ■ . ; ' ' A lengthy discussion followed regarding tho rejection of the report, in tho-oCmse of which Jliss Griffiths admitted tiiat she had asked Dr. Pabst to .convey all his. instructions to her in writing. . . A Heated Passage. Mr. Potter asked'why Dr. Pabst ■ had reported as late as December 31 that the conduct of the hospital was satisfactory, and then had apparently suddenly Sound that ovcrytliiiif,' was wrong.' Dr. I'abst replied iliat, after one mooting, he had told Mr. Totter that the matron was unsatisfactory in every way. Mr. Potter: I deny that absolutely. Mr. Maekay: I. heard the doctor (el! I you so. Mr. Xerheny heatedly charged Dr. j Pnb?t with (k'lib-ont/ii- sub'crf uj'P, lock of business methods, and with wasting the time of the board. Dr. Pabst asked for a withdrawal of this remark, but the chairman replied that Mr. Xeriieny was quite right. Messrs. Coy'ie aud Maekay protested against such an opinion being expressed bv the chairman. , , . , Dr. Pabst added (ha! he did not wish to make an unfavourable report upon_ (n« matron until compelled to do so. I poll the third complaint, under the diargo of insolence. Dr. P-ab:-; mii'.l thai the qucstion was simply one of the matrons domonnoui towards him in his official posiiioii, 'and upon that point Ihe' bounHind l)r. Maguire's evidence, -lie considered that .Miss Itrifliths's reply was in no way a rebuttal of tho complainl. The Charge Re Fever Patients. Several other charges were dealt villi . to-day, the last one being Mint, on .Tanuacy 8 the Itcdy (-uperiniomioilf placed a eli'nrwiniian in charge of two eases in tho scarlet fever ward. Her .defence was that, the woman was wardsmaidclha-t the cases were convalescent, and thai, the maid could easily telephone l'Or assistance if 'liece'snry. Dr. Maguire said that- it did not mat- •. tor whether the person was a wardsmaid!," or a charwoman, but, so far as lie .knew, "■ '■ thero were no tca-rdsma'Cs' in the Kospitcl,

nnd the. woman concerned was described in the'pay-sheets asa'charwoman. The question was: That tlio matron had detailedi an unskilled person to look after two cases pi.. scarlet fever. " Jt for tho matron tosny that a woman 1 could telephone 'for o'-nMse.' ibecaaso Me ward with which'sh6 J :w.ould cotmminicatq was' a diphtheric one.-- Ho considered it very bad nianngement'. ; b'n..tlio..part of ' this.', matron. Tho arrangement was for four hours .'in tho afternoon, and for four hours in the:, evening on alternate days. Miss Griffiths said that it was for ono day only. t Sistpr Taylor, assistant lady, superintendent, gavo evidence'that tho arrangement .',was as described by Dr. Magnire, the woman being appointed to relievo tho nurse" when the latterVdesived'it. Dr.'Maguiro: added that tho Treason why tho woman was in tho ward only,on ono day was that'a-.'iwmplaiiit had lieeii-made about; tho Dtattpf' b^pr::',Grant, and tho arrangementihad-been . immediately- stopped. Atmosphere-Electric—-Doctor Quits the ;; Room;;;' . During vthe subsequent 'conversation, dir. this matter Mr. Nerheny liiado tv -remark regarding ? Dr. Magiiiro : and Dr. Grant which was 'strongly -'.resented.: by Dr. Mnguire, and ho withdrew-from the Toom. Dr. Pabst then- protested on'the part of Dr. Grant, and described it as "cowardly to. 'attack ' n: ,maii '■ in 'his . abMjv Nerlieny -retorted, that Dr. ',Pabst was himself a coward, and, for a few minutes, the adiiiosplicre was electric. At,'first Mr. N'erhcny refused to withdrawing remarks, but was prevailed upon to do so, and Dr. Pabst, < having in his turn 'withdrawn the rSmarks resented by' Mr. 'Ncrhcny, the inquiry was adjourned until this morning, t