HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 42, 13 November 1926, Page 10

HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

STANDARDISATION & COr OPERATIVE PURCHASING

Under the auspices of the Department of. Health and tjie. New Zealand Hospital Boards Association, a special committee of hospital purchasing officers met on . Wednesday and Thursday- at the association’s offices for the purpose of- formulating ■a; suggested’ scheme "of-combined buying by hospital boards and also determining standard specifications ■ for certain articles of common use in hospital. Although under the present, system of financing hospitals ■ their interests are closely interwoven, the 47 hospital boards in the Dominion and in some cases the several institutions under a hospital board proceed almost entirely on independent lines in the important. matter of purchasing. The object of the scheme at present in haiid ’is to 1 promote economical and efficient buying and the idea has been accepted that this will be better achieved by making available to the smaller institutions the services of the experienced personnel of the larger hospitals, by group buying, and by cooperation- generally. It is the . committee’s task to suggest in detail the procedure to effect tins purpose. One of the fruits of' independent buying in the past is; an unnecessarily" wide range in sizes and qualities of many articles of common use in hospital. Following the example of modern industry there is no doubt that considerable savings may be effected by reducing the number of types of such articles. . As a step in this direction the committee has been given the further task of submitting definite recommendations for the standardisation of a few of the specific articles, .'which no doubt will be added ; to and revised from time to time. The actual ad■option of the recommendations is a matter for the hospital boards and the committee’s report is expected, to be one of the subjects for consideration at the hospital boards’ conference to be .held at' Christchurch on March -2 and 3 next . The members of the committee are Messrs. W. S. Wharton, secretary Nth. Canterbury Board (chairman); E. I. Lyell. Manager Auckland Hospital; Dr. Wilson, • Medical Superintendent and W. E. Labone, House Steward, Wellington Hospital; A. Russell, Controller of Stores, Nth.. Canterbury Hospital. Board; W. Downs, Controller of Stores, Otago Board; and F. •J. Fenton, inspecting house manager, Department of Health,