HOSPITALS AND LOCAL BODIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 176, 21 April 1921, Page 3

HOSPITALS AND LOCAL BODIES

, : GRANTS BI COUNTY COUNCILS RESTRICTIONS UNDER NEW LEGISLATION Formerly county councils and other local authorities wero possessed of various powers relative to the making' of grants for hospital, medical or nursing services. Under Acts passed during the session of 1920, sucn powers were nullified, and considerable restrictions wero made. Under the new Acts, which related both to hospitals and county court oils and other local bodies, it was laid down that it was the function entirely

of a hospital board to provide adequate hospital, nursing and medical assistance lor the whole of its district, and the opinion was expressed by many oon- ( cerned that the fact of allowing a county to provide such, things Was only a temp tation to hospital boards to neglect their proper functions. The amendment bo the Hospitals Act. passed in 1920 (states the “N.Z. Journal of Health and Hospitals") gives power to the Director-General of Health to require hospital boards to appoint medical oractitionera, nurses and midwives for the care and treatment of persons „ in the board's district. Power to maintain- hospitals is given the boards under section 63 of the principal Act. The "Journal adds: — “There is really no need to retaan the power of county councils to make giants for medical or nursling services, and overlapping has been prevented. . . . Gases frequently come under the notice of the Department in which counties have had to, bear the burden of grants

to medical associations to provide inducements to medical men to settle in the district. The making of such grants is clearly the function of the hospital board. The outlying' county pays its quo a on precisely the same basis an a centrally situated district towards the upkeep of the main hospital; therefore every other portion of the district should

in turn provide its quota towards tho establishment of medical services in an outlying district. In many cases hospital boards have shown a disinclination to provide maternity wards or other necessary medical and nursing services for the outlying portions of their districts until sufficient money has Ireen forthcoming from the district, along with the Government subsidy, to provide the necessary funds. It is. of course, only reasonable that in any undertaking Ly 'a hospital board it should endeavour to ensure that! its burden Us lightened

by voluntary contributions, but seldom do we see a hospital board deferring additions to its main hospital until suflienent voluntary contributions are received. “'.rhe powers that have been taken away from county councils and oilier local authorities, therefore, are powers that were acting to their detriment rather than in their interests, and the repeal of these powers is therefore to the advantage of both the local au-

thorities and hospital boards, as diverting what was previously done by ‘‘-rhi councils to the boards, which are the proper authorities to look’Mter’the needs of the whole of their districts, and impressing the necessity for this upon the boards themselves. "The clauses that have ireen repealed are section 190 of the Counties Act, giving powers to oounfy. councils to contribute towards the erection, establishment. and maintenance of a hospital or other charitable institution, or to relieve the sick, aged, infirm, or poor; section 14 of the Health Amendment Act, 1918, which permits county councils and other local authorities to pay the salaries of medical practitioners appointed by the Minister at: .the request of nuch local authorities; section 25 of the Health Act. Amendment, 1918. which enables any local authorities, subject to the approval of the Minister, to give a. grant to any person or society whose object is to promote public health, or for the establishment of bursaries for medical or dental students. The only power that has been retained is that which enables the county to provide a

doctor’s residence; section 3 of the County' Act Amendment, 1919, being provided for in section 192 of the counties Act. 1920, which enables county councils to rent or purchase workers’ dwellings, and for this purpose .includes the registered medical practitioner within the term 'worker.'”