THAT IMBROGLIO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1440, 15 May 1912, Page 7

THAT IMBROGLIO.

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL

(MATRON STATES HER DEFENCE, WITHOUT WITNESSES. SOME FURTHER PLEASANTRIES. (By Telegriph-PriM Association.!' '- Auckland,, May- Jit. The special inquiry regarding the administration and disciplinary methods .of tho lady superintendent of tho Auckland Hospital wns continued by the' Hospital Hoard to-day. The renuiiinler of (lie charges formulated by the Medical Committee were reviewed, nrnl the board then decided to defer its deliberations until copies of the official report of tho evi> dence had been supplied to members. Motion in Suspend Matron. The proceedings closed with the negative ing (by the casting vote of the chairman) of a motion that tho matron should bo suspended until tho board made its finding. All the members were present.' ..-, During the previous day's proceedings Dr. Pabst staled Dint he" had told Mr. Totter that the matron was unsatisfaotory in every way, and this was denied by tho member. Mr. Potter, in personal explanation, said that it would, .uppcar that he had fairly contradicted this stoUs nient, but his reply applied only (o the ond of December. Dr. Pabst said that, before that <iats, hn had reported his dis.«atisf>cr.ii)n v.ith. tho matron to Mr. Coyle, and uronkially to the chnirnuin of tlie board. JJo did ■ not l'Rincnibpr on what data ho had )i:i>t mentioned the- matter to Mr. Potter, but' ho did so more then once. "You Arc Not Tellint) the Truth." After, several charges, had been dealt with Dr. ,1. Hardic Nei! made an explanation concerning Miss .statement that he had objected to the appointment of a certain nurse in charge uf a ward. Dr. Noil said that Hie statement was contrary In fact as he had made no statement capable of the personal inter, prctfition attributed to him by Miss Grif« Bths. ■ ' Miss Griffiths replied that Dr. Neil had interviewed her in her office and Iμ;! mid . that he objected to the sister Lccamo of a certain social disability. Dr. Neil: I have never been i,i y.iur private office ...... Miss ■ Griffiths: ;On two , occasipns. jon came into my office. ' • L Dr. Neil: I am sorry that you aie not telling the truth.

j Members questioned Dr. Neil regard' I mjf tho formulation of tho charts,'and he said that they wero made by Dr. 1 iibst after a'general explanation'to I in: honorary staff. Undoubtedly Dr. Pabsl had Hie confidence of tho honorary-stiitl' ■_ -Dr. -Pabst'said that, at a regular meet ing of thn honorary .staff at which 'then was a quorum 'present, it was umini. mously nped that the charges should ha made. Iso objection liml been made to tins course- by nny member of .Ihe" ■ stuff who was not present at tho meeting. Concerning a Medical Caucus, Later in the proceedings Mr. lluthorford questioned Dr. Pabst's statement as lo use number of doctors who wore present when the charges wore fihally fai'miiiat'-d Dr. I'aiist said that the whole of the charges were explained in a general way to a meeting of the medical committee, at which eight doctors were present. There were Mrs, Pnbst, Col'dicnit, Dudley, Hnrdie Neil, Gore Gillou. Sweet, Itoimtson, and hig'is. Afterwards .the charges, were stated in writing , , and submitted to » meeting.

At the request of Mr, Rutherford the minuto book was produced. It showed that, at the statutory meeting on February 5, there were eight doctors present, and, at the second - mooting on March S, there were nine' , doctors present. l)r. Pabst remarked that tho Royal Coinmission six years ago directed flint ilia minute''book was private, but ho had produced it in deference to tho wishes of the-'meeting, and would have to toko the responsibility of his action.

The statement that the matron had occiisttl Sister ftmlcl of telling lies, which was made on the previous'day, was mentioned by Mr. Coyfe. He asked JlissGriffiths to reply to his question• whether she hail ever used the, word "lie" in connection with her duties. : Miss Griffiths: 1 deny it. MATRON'S DEFENGE, GENERAL AND FLAT DENIAL, The hearing of evideneo in support of the charges having been concluded, the matron said that she wished to call certain evidence, but sho had not acquainted tho witnesses with ber intention of calling them. After considerable discussion Miss Griffiths said that sho had no desire to prolong the inquiry, and would upt call , n,ny witnesses. > ■■ Her Hours of Work. The matron then addressed the board, reviewing the complaints in order. Sho submitted that tho charge that Ehe h«d been dilatory in commencing her duties had been disproved, and,-if -necessary, sho could bring evidence that wdiild prove

conclusively tiiat her hours of duty commenced at a very early hour (ompnred with those of the other officials. Alleged Insolence. " .'..'■' With regard to the instance's of alleged insolence, Jliss Ciri'liOis remarked .that the by-laws fixed the position of the chairman of th'u.medical eommitjeo ah .certain. ly not superior to her own. She asked the board to accept her assurance thut tho words described as satirical wore in ! reality an appreciation of Dr..]'abst*3 inquirv' regarding the nurses' home;, .The board had accepted- her report regarding her protest against her timo being wasted, and therefore rebutting cyidnira was not required. -The board again had.lk'r assurance that no insolencu was intended by the innocent remark which slio made regarding lavatories anil bathrooms. Miss Griffiths-submitted that there was no ground for thd charges of untnitMulness. The evidence clearly showed that, when «ho hud needed direction, she had apiicaled to tho senior resident .niedicaJ otlicvr, but, being conversant- with ■ -ti» duties of her office,'Mich «PF»'s " a " » wl rare.

.Case of Sister Rudd. Regarding the appointment nf Sis(«l J! mid to the posit ion of home .sister, Jiiss Griffith" Jaid that she had a letter from Sister Kiuld showing that she did not regard her occupancy of (lip post as per-, manent, mid, further, she informed Sist.»r ■lludd orally, that, it was only temporary. Ward Supervision. Upoii Ihp charge that tho ; had left a ward without'a competent nurse, she said that authority for (lie sister to have jeave had been given. A well-trained nurse was transferred to tho ward, and,' an exception being taken to her on grounds other than her ability as n .nurse, Nurse Mueller was appointed to tho position,,. Sho. thought-that the-board would'agree trrnt sufficient provision was made for '\ne proper supervision of the ward. U Had been sufficiently proved (hat it was not a charwoman who had been put in eharco of ecurlet fever caws, but a wnrdsmnid, who had suHieiont experience of tiro place to know wlicro to übluin nssistanw. An tho casos wero just abmit ready for discharge, they c<mld, had Jln-.V Ikmmi adults, [•almost have been left alone. [ iler reason for transferring 'the

erysipelas caw from one wan! to nitndior wa? because Ilin case wns ndmilltd ink an infected ward, -mid would, in nil prn. babilHy, liavo ' contracted , " <!i<> Vli>oits<t, perhaps with fetnl results. In- tho -Hi-, cumistaiiees *lie-ooneid«ro(l.that.her action was justified. ... .-,,... 8h« directed attontion to a statement !iy Vt'. Harilio Noil—a'member of ih'o li'nMnrlarv staff—that ehe-liHtl---discii!w>cl \rilli him tho'adhiission'of N.-.irsn Hny I 7. Miss Griffiths submitted that siio !uul j dlepwved the charge, that slso linii plan il '« probaHoner inohargo of a Berimis railtagioua case. The probationer wae iiol- in chargeflclatloni with the GNalrman. She added that there VRs.no aiiliiorily for tho chairman of the medical" slnff io reprimand her. ;: ,., Referring- *o the gennre! cluirjic- of want of motaod aad neglect of (ho instriirHone from th* ohairman o{ tHc Mpdirnl Oommlttoo, ehe ngein omphaiSiVd (!ip f.irt UuJb *ho retarded aorodf ee the " eorvnnt

of tlte".board ?She had made an effort to oarry out the wishes of Dr. Pabst, and to work in harmony with him, but his wishes weriy so exacting that they clashed with tlio'. duties for which sho was paid. Miss Griffiths concluded by re/narking that'her position had been n most difficult one," and a suggestion was mado by Mr. Jeiikin that some mombcr of the board iniglU supplement her defence, and suggested Mr. Potter. M,r. Potter said ho could not do 60 until be,had the official report of tho evidence. ]':-. OTHEH PROCEEDINGS. DR. PABST. GROWS VIGOROUS. DJ\ Pabst then proceeded to review tho case-,' against. tho matron. _ lie said that the--charges comprised insolence, untriithfulness, nnd prevarication, incompetence, and inexperience, nnd added that tho matron, had not carried out her duties with; tho personal administration and industry which the Medical Committee liatUa right to expect. It'was ngrped-'that tho board should Bot'proeeed to deliberate until the official report of the evidence was available and that it should meet to prepare its findings, two days after tho copies of the en-, donco had been issued to members. Dr. Pabst urged that there should bo no'delay, and tho chairman mid that tho board realised that, until the matter was settled, tho .institution must bo prejudiced. ... ■ •■ ■ • ■■

Tliero was a protracted discussion upon a proposal by Mr. Coylo that tho matron should be suspended until the board had adjudicated upon the charges against her and that, in tho meantime, tho assistant lady superintendent should assume her duties. r~ ■ This motion was'seconded by Mr. Mackay. '■■ " ''-" ' The motion was then put, the voting being as follows.— For tho motionMessrs. Coyle, Mackay, Jenkin, Ellison, and Dye. Against the. motion—Messrs. Schofield, Rutherford, Dicksou, Potter, nnd Nerlieny. The chairman gave his casting vote against the motion,, and declared it .'lost.. ' ' .' , ■ ,: v Complaint by Five Nurses. . The hoard then proceeded-to" deal-witlr-a protest by five sisters against their suspension over the "bath incident,"" and' the declaration by 25 sisters and nurses that they could not continue.;their.'duti«s. ■under the management of the present lady superintendent. Tho two letters, which have already been published, were., read and also another ono addressed tothe chairman of the board. Tin's letter was asvfollows: — "Wq the. undersigned sisters, representing the-senior '.nursing staff of- the ■ hospi.t'al,.'fre*retJ:that'We feel'that wo '. cannot submit our-ense to the'board.; ■ Wo respectfully beg that the -inquiry '■.:. into "our case should bo . .submitted to an outside authority, either the Inspector-General of Hospitals or a stipendiary..magistrate." ~..;,.:

This .was signed by, Sisters,L. Longman; 'A. L. Jackson,' A. Kudd, and A v Sutherland. It wal decided that the'inquiry should : J)b postponed: until: 7 o'clock ' tomorrow 1 evening. ', . ■ ;■.,