HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1574, 6 March 1879, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Wednesday, Maech 5. The usual fortnightly meeting of this Board was held at the Hospital at half-past seven o'clock. Present—Messrs H. Thomson (chairman), George Booth (Mayor of Sydenham), C, T. Ick (Mayor of Christchurch), and John Evans Brown. ASHBDBTON HOME. Mr John Evans Brown brought up the report on this Home. It stated that Mr and Mrs J. Maddison had been appointed master and matron. There were twelve applications. The report dealt with some matters of routine. The action of the committee on the appointment referred to was confirmed. Mr March referred to the necessity of having a hospital at Ashburton. Cases now had to be treated at the Old Men's Home. lit was resolved to get a new stove for the Home, and to call for estimates for rendering the Home fit for the inmates in the winter time. The report was then adopted. Mr March stated that there was already a marked improvement in the Home. THE HOSPITAL COMMITTEE. The committee gave in their report. It detailed what steps were being taken with regard to the improvements in the hospital that are now going on. The wards had been thoroughly cleaned and washed as directed by the Board. The Chairman drew attention to the accident that had taken place in the Hospital. It was not the fault of the authorities. Mr Booth stated that the man who had been under treatment at the Hospital was now so much better that he had returned to his home. Some discussion took place on the subject of the Hospital drain. Mr Booth said that they had no power to turn the drainage into the new drain in Antigua street. It was resolved to leave the matter to the committee. The report was adopted. CHARITABLE AID EEPORT. The report was read. It stated that a claim had been sent in by Dr. Patrick for attending a patient. It a'so dealt with other matters in the charitable aid department. The report was adopted. KAIAPOI. A letter was read from the clerk of the Council at this place, making a claim for money that had been expended on a patient, who had been treoted at that place. The amount claimed was .£36. The Chairman said, so far as the committee could see, it was a case'for the Charitable Aid, and not for the Hospital Board at all. Kaiapoi had received .£250 from the Government for charitable aid, he believed. It appeared that the woman in question had been sent to England at the expen»e of £23. It was resolved to communicate with the Government and lay the whole facts before them, with an expression that the case was one for charitable aid, and not for the hospital, and that, \hercfore, they did not recognise the claim. THE MEDICAL STAPF. The Chairman read the telegram received from the Government on the subject. It has already been published. The Chairman also read the following telegram : Government Buildings, Wellington, March 3rd. At request of Board, and also of medical staff, shall advise Governor to cancel the appointment to staff. Gazette appears Thursday. Most members of staff, perhaps all, are willing to act till successor appointed, but if Board think it desirable to delay actual notification until new staff decided upon, can delay publication to any date named. Unless such date wired to me by you, cancellation will appear in Thursday's Gazette. G. S. Whitmore. The Chairman said, on the receipt of that telegram, he saw the members of the Board, and forwarded the following : Christchurch, March 3rd.

The Colonial Secretary— We understand all the medical staff, save one, have resigned. Majority of Board think notification of cancelment should issue as proposed by you. Anticipate no inconvenience from the action of the staff. . The Chairman then proceeded at considerable length to refer to the observations of Dr. Turnbull at different times as to the gazetting of the medical staff, and said he had procured a copy of the following letter, which that gentleman had forwarded to the Government:— Christchurch, February 15,1879. To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New Zealand. Sir,—l am directed by the Christchurch Hospital staff to forwa d to yon the enclosed resolution adopted last night at a full meeting. i lam also directed to apologise to you for having left your letter of December 17th, 1878, No. 1982, unanswered, and to say that the omission was brought about by a mistaken idea as to the purport of that letter. After saying that you thought'' it advisable that both the Board of Management and the medical staff should hold office temporarily until permanent arrangements can be made." you say — " It is therefore proposedjjto eanoel the appointments of the present medical staff and to re-appoint the same gentlemen for one year to January Ist, 1880." The mistake made by me was that I took your letter as a final intimation of the intention of the Government, and I daily expected to see our appointments cancelled and re-gazetted, The mistake was mine only, and I beg to express my regret for having interpreted the letter wrongly. The error was the more easily fallen into of supposing the communication final, because we cordially acquiesced in it as the only practical business arrangement that could be arrived at under the circumstances. I now call your attention to the action of the Hospital Board at its meeting on Tuesday last, the 11th instant. Mr J. Evans Brown proposed, and the Board car ried, the following resolution—" That the Colonial Secretary be advised to cancel the appointments of the present medical staff at the Hospital with a view to the Board inviting offers from duly qualified medical men resident in Christchurch for attendance at the Hospital for the ensuing year. Tour letter of December 19th, 1878, as well as yonr note to Mr Brown of the 7th inst. were read to the Board. Both letters stated your plan of appointing ns temporarily until January Ist, 1880, but notwithstanding, the Board determined to cancel at once our appointments. We believe this to be not only a most ungracious proceeding, but one calcnlated to throw upon us a most undeserved censure. Since the appointment of the Board we have invariably given the utmost assistance by information and advice to facilitate the management, and by the expressions of the members it is clear our professional services have been approved; yet, in spite of these tilings, and in the face of your two letters, they have acted in this important matter so prec pitately as to cause a general belief that there has been something wrong connected with the staff. The temporary plan proposed by you, and which, I conscientiously say, we believed ourselves to be acting under, is clearly the pr per compromise between a permanent appointment such as we held and this summary dismissal. We, therefore, respectfully suggest that yon should put in force your original intention of gazetting us for this year only.

There cannot possibly be the slightest doubt as to the feeling of the staff that a lay board should be, as indeed the Board is practically, masters of tb« Institution. That there can he no doubt upon this point I enclose a letter from the secretary to the Board, dated Novembersth, 1878. In that letter it will be seen that the staff believed the Board to have the power, tinder Government, of appointing tbe staff, and in this we still most cordially agree, but we think this precipitate and summary action of dismissing permanent officers without notice and without necessity must be hurtful to the management, as webeliere it to be injurious to ourselves. I beg ngain respectfully to urge that you suggest to the Board the advisability of adopting yoar proposal to terminate our appointments on Jan. Ist, 1880.

I am., &c, (Signed) James S. Turnbull,

Resolution passed at a meeting of the Christ church Hospital staff. Present —The chairman, Dr. Deainer, Mr Prins, Dr. Nedwill, Dr. Powell, Dr. Frankish, Dr. Doylo, Mr Bell Hay, and Dr. Symes:— That the attention of the Hon. the Colonial Secietary be called to the resolution carried by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on Mr Brown's motion—" That the Colonial Secretary be advised to cancel the appointments o£ the present medical staff at the Hospital, with a view to the Board inviting offers from dnly qualified medical me;: resident in Christchnrch for attendance at the Hospital for the ensuing year " ; and that the Colonial Secretary he asked whether the Government intend to adhere to the Colonial Secretary's proposal, made in his letter of 7th Dec, 1878, and tacitly accepted by the staff, as it appears to the staff that the precipitate action of the Board, in the face of the expressed intentions of the Government, "is distinctly injurious to the staff. Carried unanimously. (Signed) James S. Turnbull, Chairman. Christchnrch, 15th Feb., 1879.

[Copy.] Christchnrch, sth November, 1878. Sir, —I have the honor to inform yon that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board have approved the recommendation made by the Hospital staff, to the effect that Dr. Symes be appointed to fill the vacancy on the staff of visiting surgeons to the Christchnrch Hospital. I have, &c, (Signed) J. E. Makch. The Chairman of the Hospital Staff, Christchnrch.

In the course of hiß remarks the Chairman explained the action he had taken prior to the previous meeting on the receipt of the Government telegram. He was sorry that Dr. Turnbull had thought fit afterwards to write to the public press and reiterate certain charges, and to make statements which ho (the speaker) contended were not in accordance with fact. That letter he considered was not in good taste. While admitting the power of the Board, Dr. Turnbullwas actuallj trying to get their resolution pasf ed at a full meeting set aside, and to set the Board at defiance.

Dr. Turnbull admitted that the appointment of the staff had not been gazetted, but when he made the statement he was under the impression that it had.

The Ohitirman in the course of his observations stated that Dr. Turnbnll had been appointed a member of the Board, because he was chairman of the medical staff. He concluded his observations by saying that it was ramouted that the staff had resigned, which he considered was a gre . t pity, as th?y had evidently allowed some Buppo'.ed feelings of professional etiquette to get the better of them. Dr. Turnbnll snid the staff had not resigned. They had asked the Government to cancel their appointment. They were willing to work until their successors were appointed. They coul I not walk oat of the hospital at a minute's notice.

Mr Booth thought it was a pity the action of the staff had not been sooner made known. It •was discourteous to the Board.

Dr. Turnbnll did not see any discourtesy. He thought the mat er had better close. Mr Thomson had spoken very temperately, but he entirely disagreed with him. The chairman had taken his position nicely and temperately. Mr Brown explained that in bringing forward the resolution he did not wish to reflect upon the staff in any shape or form. He was simply actuated by a desire to prevent any conflict at a future time.

Dr. Turnbull said that such an impression did prevail. Three different times Mr Brown had followed the matter up, and lor that reason the staff thought that he had some feeling against them.

THE HOUSE SUBGEOn'S BEPOBT.

This report showed 37 admissions and 36 discharges since the last meeting. Some discussion took place on the question of the house surgeon being directed by the coroner to make post mor terns without being paid for it. It was resolved to write to the Colonial Secretary and point out the inconvenience of the house su'geon being taken from his duties by the coroner to make post mortems. Dr. Chilton said the matter did not end there. The magistrate said he was a civil servant, and refused to certify to his costs. Mr Brown suggested that this should also be mentioned in the communication to the Government.

The house surgeon also reported that two women with babies had been admitted to the Hospital from the Befuge. There was a large number of charitable aid cases getting medicine from the Hospital, which was very unfair. Some out patients had been receiving medical comforts for two or thr; ; e years. This system was an inducement for people to keep on as out patients longer than they otherwise need do. It was decided to allow the matter of the two women with babies to remain in abeyance until the next meeting. Some discussion took place on the subject of the Charitable Aid cases in connection with the Hospital. The matter was referred to the Hospital committee. After the transaction of some matters of detail, the Board adjourned.