CHANGES PROPOSED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 245, 11 July 1921, Page 5

CHANGES PROPOSED

HOSPITALS COMMISSION’S REPORT IMPROVED ORGANISATION REPRESENTATION ON BOARDS The report of tho Hospitals Commiswion contains recommendations on very many aspects of' hospital control and administration. The more important recommendations have been summarised tinder separate headings in this issue of The Dominion. Some of the other recommendations are as follow: —- Tho Government should subsidise voluntary contributions to hospital boards for general maintenance purposes or for specific maintenance purposes approved bv the Minister at the rate for £ for «£. "The Government should, on the recommendation of the Minister, subsidise voluntary contributions, bequests, and devises for capital purposes or endowments, nt the rate for .£ for £■ ... Section 9 (2) Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, should be amended so as to allocate the representatives of contributory districts in proportion to their respective rateable capital value and population, at a ratio of twothirds on rateable capital value and onethird on population. Tho existing system of representation and suffrage should continue except where local contributory bodies, having different forms of suffrage, are united in one combined district; in such cases tho ratepayers’ suffrage should apply over the whole area. Considering the full power of control of expenditure already possessed by the Minister, Government representation upon hospital boards by means of nominated members is not recommended, except that in the case of Auckland, Wellington, North Canterbury, and Otago Hospital Boards, to whom it is proposed to give special financial consideration for base hospital purposes, it is recommended that there be one member on each board appointed by the Government; and further, that in the case of the Otago Hospital Board an additional member bo appointed by the Government, to be nominated by the medical faculty of tho University of Otago. The constitution and area of the hospital districts should continue as at present, except that tho following hospital districts should be amalgamated; Picton with Wairau, Inangahua with Grey, and Waihi with Thames. A hospital supplies purchase board should be constituted under the Health Department, composed of one responsible officer of, and appointed by each of the four base hospital boards, one from the Health Department, one from the Mental Hospitals Department, and two business men nominated by the Minister. This board should arrange for tho standardisation, purchase, and distribution of equipment and supplies for all institutions under the hospital boards, Health - Department, and Mental Hospitals Department. Hospital equipment afid supplies. wher e possible, should bo standardised with a, view to economical buying, by placing combined orders for Dominion requirements f or delivery at centres ns required. An inspecting house steward and two inspecting accountants should bo atitached to the Health Department, for work among the hospitals. ' With u view to assuring the most efficient design and construction of hospitals, and tho standardising of buildings, where possible, a specially qualified architect should be appointed, who would be expected to make a continuous study of the latest development of hospital- construction. Wherever possible complete ground plans providing for ultimate extensions should be prepared, and ba conformed to in subsequent building operations.

A skilled dietitian should bo appointed at once by the Otago Hospital Board, to organise at the Dunedin Hospital, in conjunction with tho Homo Science Department of the University of Otago, the training of pupil dietitians. As soon as possible dietitians should be appointed to tho Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch hospitals by the respective boards. /

It is suggested that as additional accommodation for patients becomes necessary in the largest centres, the policy Jjo considered of building secondary hospitals for convalescent ami chronic cases.

Medical research and the preventive work of the Health Department should he furthpr developed with a view to improving tho national health, and thus lessening the need for hospital accommodation.