HOSPITAL COSTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20031, 1 September 1939, Page 4

HOSPITAL COSTS

INCREASES IN RATES

MAKING UP THE LEEWAY SECURITY ACT BENEFITS MR. COLEMAN’S DEFENCE (ParHamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Taking up suggestions on the part of the Opposition that hospital levies on local ioodios would increase under the influence of the provisions of the Social Security Act, Mr, D. W. Coleman (Lab., Giaborne) devoted part of his financial debate speech to a defence of the Government’s policy in respect of this Act. Admitting that rates had been increased recently, owing to large-scale spending of capital upon hospital buildings and services, Mr. Coleman contended that this was due entirely to making up the leeway of the depression years. Not only had present requirements to be met, tout leeway had to be provided for. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Nat., Otago Central) had stated that the payment to hospital boards of 6s per day per occupied toed would not benefit the hospitals'; (Mr. Coleman continued. Everyone knew that the present average .collection was 2s 9d per occupied toed per day. If. therefore, the boards had had to budget on a revenue of 2s 9d per bed, and they were now receiving 6s, the ratepayers must benefit considerably. He also contradicted emphatically the statement that owing to the Social Security Act, the number of hospital patients had increased. Any increases that had taken place represented merely the normal increase over a period of years, he claimed.

He admitted that there had been an increase in the number dealt with in recent years, but this, in his opinion, was due entirely to the improvement In services offered toy the hospitals, services which hitherto had not been available.

It also had been stated that hospital boards had had to enlarge their buildings owing to the passing of the Social Security Act. That was not correct, Mr. Coleman said. The building programmes had been mapped out four or five years ago in some cases.