HOSPITALS SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 213, 3 June 1920, Page 5

HOSPITALS SERVICE

CONFERENCE OF BOARDS SUBSIDIES SCHEME ADOPTED Tho Hospital Boards' Cofiferenco concluded its deliberations yesterday afternoon under the presidency of Sir James Wilson. The sub-committee set ud to consider tho question of levies and subsidies recommended that the principlo of the proportion scheme proposod by the Department be approved, but that the minimum rate of subsidy be 123. 6d. in the £1. report noted that Mr.. Penu and Jli". vonradi dissented;in tho above recommendation. Mr. Conradi was of opinion that the mean rate of subsidy should bo Ma. in tho £1. and tho minimum rate 15a. Mr. Penn was of opinion tlfffit a flat rato of £1 for £1 should be reintroduced. Tho comraittco, of whloh Mr. J. Ooyle, 01 Wellington, was chairman, further recommended 'that boards in whose district* there wero a number of rates from Native

land uncollectabie, should receive an equivalent grant from tho Government. After somo discussion tho recommoutin, tlons of tho committee were. adopted, an amendment that tho minimum rato of subsidy bo 15s. in tho £1, having been nrt> viously rejected. Suppli^

Touching supplies, tho following remits were tabled:— . , , That all supplies required in connection with the maintenance and upkeep of hospitals be procured by tho Department of Hospitals .and Oharitablo Aid for distribution amongst, tho various hospitals. That tho Hospitals Department formulate a scheme lor the purchase and distribution to hospital boards "of supplies in general use. That this board urge upon the Government to make suitable arrangements for coal supplies for ail hospitals in tho Dominion. ... In tho course of a general discussion delegates wero of the opinion that a con-, siderablc saving could bo efleoted if uli bulk supplies were obtained throut'h the ono channel. Incidentally it was pointed out that if the Department oould only avoid re-handling in ionGon the proposed schciue would be quite olieotivo. In tJie light of the experience of oertain of tho larger hospitals of the Dominion who had themselves imported their own supplies from iiugiand. tho Department should tin able to eilect a wiving of 40 to 50 por cent, ou the cost of drugs and hospital material.

'i'lie Auckland delegates opposed aiiv pooling of supiiiitsfou me part of tho Department, ou the. ground that it would tond to centralise the control of hospital administration, l'hoy were strongly ol thu opinion however, that mutual co-oDOra-tion among boards in the matter of obtaining supplies should be given every encouragement. Tho secretary of the: Department explained that the idea was to establish hospital supply stores, the same as obtained in tho Public Works Department. All three remits wero adopted.

Standard Hospital Plans On behalf of the Whanearei Hoard it was moved;—" That the Publio Health Department undertake the preparation of standard, plans and specifications for use in connection with all hospital buildings. That clerks of work be appointed, same to be available for use of hospltul boards in connection with standard plans."

Dr. Frengley said that the Department had no objection to tho remit, providine it. was not, asked to supply set plans for hospital bulldinir?. Any endeavour to standardise hospital plans would be absolutely wronj. The .moment, standardisation was adopted healthy competition was removed and there was not sufficient scopo tor tho adoption of any improvements in design, cto. The Department wonld. as in tho past', help the boards in every way possible with suzgestions, particularly in the matter of alterations and additions. Tho remit was adopted after a division. A Hardy Annual. "I think we havo done that, gentlemen, at every conference," remarked the Inspec-tor-General, m endorsing tho following Otago remit which was unanimously adopted:—"That boards be relieved of tho charge for maintenance of children in industrial and special schools, it beinir considered that this is rightly a chargo against tho Kduoation Department, which body has full oontrol over such children."

Uniform Salaries Wantedi Four remta were submitted urging that classification of tho salaries of all matrons, nurses, and probationers so that a uniform scale of salaries might be compiled.

There was a consensus of opinion that it was absolutely necessary that a soale of salaries should be drawn up applicable to at least tho four chief centres.- The position at presont was that if one board raised its salaries tho .others had to fall into lino, in order to keep their stalls. It was not desired to keep the salaries down, but simply to have more uniformity. It waa agreed that in some out-of-the-way districts provision should be made for a slightly higher scale' of remuneration.

Tho conference endorsed the principle set out in the various remits on tho subject, and the delegates from the four chief centres arranged to confor at a later juncture with a view to drawing up a schedulo acceptable to nil four.

Various Remits Remits wero also passed favouring the establishment of bursaries for students in massage or nursing) omnowering local authorities to make a special rate over any legal subdivision or any district for the pnrposo of subsidising or paying tllo salary and expenses of district nurses; recommending legislation giving hospital boards reasonabio facilities for borrowing money for capital purposes; and urging that tho cost of maintenance or relief ■granted'by public institutions bo recoverable from a near relative.

The conference also affirmed that venereal disease should be mado a compulsory notifiable disowo.

A number of machinery remits were also adopted, and as' the conference rose Sir James Wilson remarked, amid applause, that the conference had most certainly justified itself.