PATIENTS' PAYMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1775, 13 June 1913, Page 6

PATIENTS' PAYMENTS.

IN HOSPITAL,

PROPOSAL TO RAISE THEM.

PKOS & CONS OF IT. What hospital patients should pay, ns maintenance charge, was talked over .by Iho Wellington Hospital Board yesterday. Tho House Committee of the Hospital recommended that the charge should be pu,t up from .IDs. to 355. per week. Mr. G. Nash expressed the opinion that a charge ot' 30s. per week was ample. It was mostly poor people who received treatment, and it would be wrong to increase the present amount by ss. Ho raove<l: "That no increase be made in the in-patients', fee." "Even 30s, is Too Much."

Dr. Mackenzie seconded the motion. He considered that' even 30s. per week was far too much for poor people to pay. The position simply was that thoso who could not afford to go">lsewhere camo to the hospital for treatment. ; He thought that the committee was wasting paper, stamps, and timo in endeavouring to c-olleot money from people who could not really aiford to pav. His opinion was that there should be two grades of hospital patients. If a grading scheme was brought into operation it would save a great deal of time which was now wasted. Those people whom the authorities know could not pay should not be asked to pay, ani! should bo admitted as one class. The other class would be thoso who could afford to pay a little. Those whom the board knew could pay something should be asked to sign an agreement .before entering tho institution. Thirty shillings per week' was, he thought, too mucli to ask in any case, and to increaso the charge now would be quite wrong. The chairman (Mr. J; Smith): In Auckland, Christchurch, and Duncdin they pay 355. per week; Dr. Mackenzie (promptly): Would Wellington follow Auckland! Rev. W. A. Evans stated that he understood that tho proposal to increase the amount was to bring Wellington into line with other hospitals.

I Payers and Non-Payers. Mr. D. M'Laren opinsd'that unless the committee kept its finances in a sound position it would be unable to do all that it v,-anted to do. At the same time ho did not believe iu increasing the amount. He suggested as a way out of the difficulty a graded scale of payments. There was no doubt about it, but that 30s. a '.iveek was too much in somo cases, but thero were other cases where patients could easily afford to pay as much as .63 sor week. There was no doubt that people who had considerable .means received treatment at the hospital. That was all right; they should have the treatment, but by raising the charge it would make it much harder for others. There also were quiet honest people who worked hard, and endeavoured to pay for treatment received; but at the same time thero were some who refused 'to pay, though, well üblo to do so. Those who really were able to pay should, ho thought, be madejto do so. Mr. B. If. Gardener said that he believed in having a 6calo of charges to meet different cases. As members of the committee knew, the hospital maintenance charges had been, reduced on many occasions in respect to cases. A classification scheme, however, would bring more money into the hospital. In his opinion, the matter should nave been held over until the Houso Committee had brought down a report. The chairman remarked that the bulk of the patients do not pay anything. There were, however, people who would pay 305., or even J23, to get intp the hospital. He did not approve of a classification scheme. It would bo very difficult matter 'to..classify ..patients ,according to their means and ability to pay. "A man," 'he added, "may como to you with a new suit of clothes on, and new boots, etc., but may not have ss. in his pocket. I think that the present charge is a reasonable'one, and it is the same as in other hospitals in New Zealand. Those who can pay should be obliged ,to pay, and those who can't should get free treatment."

Matter to be Further Considered. Mr. H. Baldwin thought that tho committee did not wish to discriminate between the rich and tho poor. "We aro bringing; this hospital on a par with other hospitals," no said, "and wo aro doing nothing out .of the way." Mr. Gardener moved that the matter be Teferred back for further consideration. Tho motion was-adopted.