HOSPITAL INQUIRY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22341, 28 May 1947, Page 6

HOSPITAL INQUIRY

DEATH _OF MAN EOARD NOT TOLD CASE OF EX-PATIENT The fact that members of the Auckland Hospital Board were not aware of the circumstances of the c.calh ol a former patient until they read newspaper reports of an inquest was commented on at a meeting of the board on Monday. The deceased was Mr. George MeGuffic Reid, retired warehouseman, aged 34, r' Stanley Bay. At the inquest last week the coroner, Mr. A. Addison, stated that there was a most unfortunate complication in lhe case, as the men was apparently allowed to go heme from the Auckland Hospital when he had five broken ribs, but he was sure j that if th- doctors had known of lhe fractures they would never have sent him home. Death In Private Hospital Mr. Reid was injured when he was j knocked down by a motor car on the j night of March 19. He was taken lo the casualty' department of the Auckland Hospital and discharged the next day. lie died in a private hospital on March 22. The coroner stated that lhe X-'\ay had not disclosed the fractures and the man was allowed to go home. He thought that when the facts were known they 7 vou’d cprvp a rood purpose and the hospital would take the necessary action. There was no evidence to show that lhe discharge of deceased was a contributory* cause of death. A vcrchct. was returned that death was caused by acute pneumoma and brf failure following five fractures of the ribs. M 'he board meeting Mr. ,T. Grierson said he was vary 7 upset to read in the naper about the ca c e. Fie wanted to know if the board had looked into the matter. Early Investigation “The first I know about the matter officially was last. Friday morning." said ‘lie chairman. Mr. \. .T. Moody, who is pt.-o chairman of the board’s investigation committee, "t was very 7 concerned that the bo;wd had been kept in entire mnorprac nf t'-c case. Yon may rest assured that tlm matter will '->c fully invest'gated by the mvestisa**ons ro’’””ittee. Had it not been for lhe r-rriid reports I hesitate to -?y what yr-'i'd have happened, ken-use t do not tfimk Iho 'mard would have known about it at all." M". Mooc 1 ’ 7 -aid that siie’i a case fieri the "--ri for th- invest nations eew-i't'l'wfi'-h had tho confidence of the oi'filio. The commi'Mo would meet as '•non as it could eel info action. T-Tc woo'd h- very nleaa'M to bear the comments of Sc’wyn t\ Morris, n menbe e' t’ac beerd. en the a-—, j-r- wps a r •■ -, c" e-H a o' (be -b“. 7 T a *—’fid ll''- ,r ) '-••'O’” v-het 1 ’ i” f-’-o--'--- 1 t 1 ’- c’"’ ri-~if —■u-h bv *he Heard r b" ,t 'c unfortunate investigations commit *ec. “Seme Puric Q” cs'b'g." Mr. Moedv -deled ff’-f h- honed someon- in addition lo hims-lf world son’- oimstim’s when tbe c-se was investigated. Son-mono would have to ask some rude quest'ons, Mr. .T. r-i’inb-cn s-id fh- man's family were very d'streaped to ha*-e him sc”* b-n’e from he-niial. On-’ point he wnr'd like fo s-- el—-red im oc*’’C'”'n?d the n-—ibffity r r it’- f-i : urc of the X-rr.y p’-nt to do its work. Mr. G. T. Pnrvin s- : d *he cbairm-n s’’-'u]d have been advised immediately of flic care.