HOSPITAL BOARD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 8

HOSPITAL BOARD

SALARIES OF HOUSE SUEGEONS.

The Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board met'yesterday, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan presiding in- the . unavoidable absence of the chairman, Mr. F. Castle. There were also present: Dr. J. , KenneMv Elliott, Rev. H. van Staveren, ■Messrs. G. J. Pethprick, C. M. Luke, J. Hutchison, A. J. M'Gunly, H. Black, I<\ T. Moore. J. Glover, J. Smith, W. J. Thompson, C. H. Chapman, Mesdanies Aitken. Beck, M'Vicar, and Snow. It was recommended by the Finance Coinmitteo that the house surgeons be pail a salary of .£2oo.per annum from tiu> date of graduation, and the present hs'isc surgeons a similar salary from Aiini 1, 1919, and thence forward an oiitomatic increase at the rate of =£50' per annum after each six months of service! till the maximum of 1'350 is reach-

ed. 'J lie chairman said the recommendation mm made as the result of a conferonce with the house surgeons. When there was a shortage of doctors the help of unqualified men had to be obtained, and thev had contended that they should receive JCISO per annum. The committo could not see its way to grant that reauest. but it had finally decided to pav the surgeons .£!OD per annum from Ibft dote of graduation. Mr. Hutchison cousidered that an annual increment of .£SO was. not sufficient to induce young students to 6tay at the irsilution. . ' , Mr. Luke and Mr. Smith pointed out that, it was not desirable to retain the vouuG men too long. They would do better bv going abroad to gain experience. Mr. Luke thought that the longest Kmo the young doctors should be retained was two yean. The increase in salarv was quite a substantial one. M~r. Hutchison: Then, after that, this is only an apprenticeship hospital. It seems to me that it has been nothing mere than that. I want to retain the skilled physicians here, and not have them so oiit into private practice. 'Mr. Luke said that by going to other hospitals, or gaining experience at Home, tho vouiiK men had more chance of increasing their skill, and would be much more useful. He instanced ; Dr. WoodI.ouse the medical superintendent, who jiaj come to the hospital from Dunedin as a house surgeon, and afterwards went Homo to prosecute his etudiea. Had Or. Woodhonse remained in New Zealand he would not have been so valun'l.'i! an officer as he was now nfter havini» been abroad for seven or eight years. The recommendation was agreed to. ■ The Finance Committee reported that Ihp settlers in the Paraparnumu district had guaranteed .£75 per annum towards the' expenses of establishing n ilisHct nurse and it was recommended that steiis be taken to make such an appointment. , '"' j i i The recommendation was adopted. Intimation was received that the chairman of the Wellington South School Committee had promised to provide shrubs and plants for planting at (he Seddon annexe. The Hospital Committee recommended, aivl it was decided, to sanction the pro-1 curing of an electro-magnet for the removal of metallic foreign lwdi.es from The Hospital Committee reported that Nurse Lethbridge had resigned owing to private affairs, and that Sisters Huddlestone and Bursill, who had returned from active service, would resume duty at the hospital at the end'of tho present month.

A Mounts amounting to J55767 10s. were passed for payment.