HOSPITAL BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1753, 2 October 1879, Page 3

HOSPITAL BOARD.

A meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday at 4 p.m. Present —Mr" H. Thomson (chairman), tho Mayor of Christchurch, Dr. Turnbull, and Mr' J. E. Brown.

Tho Hospital committee reported as follows : “ Tho Hospital committee have tho honor to report that in compliance with a resolution passed at the last meeting of the Board, they selected and appointed Mr B. T. Bell as house steward. During the past fortnight twenty-six patients have been admitted and twenty-two discharged. Three deaths have alse occurred during the lame period, leaving sixty-six patients at present in the Hospital. The receipts for the quarter ended 3#th September amounted to £2Ol 5s 6d.”

The following letter was read from the Government :

" Colonial Secretary’ll office, “ Wellington, 27th September. “ Sir, —I have the honor to transmit to yon the copy of a letter which has been addressed to the Government by a number of the medical practitioners residing in Christchurch who at various times have been connected with the Hospital, in which they draw the • attention of the Government to the extremely unsatisfactory condition of the present administration of that institution. The Government would be glad to be favored with any remarks that may suggest themselves to the Board, of which you are chairman, as being desirable to make upon the statements contained in the enclosed letter. In the meantime, as the Government are informed that tho-Board of Administration propose to appoint a permanent medical officer to the Hospital at a considerable salary, I desire to suggest that such appointment may be delayed until the present difficulty is arranged, when I have received your reply,

“ I hare, dtc., “ Tour obedient servant, “ G. S. Whitkobe

“ Chairman of the “ Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.” The Chairman then read the letter of the medical profession, enclosed, as follows: “ Christchurch, September 22nd. “ Sir, —We the undersigned medical practitioners residing in Christchurch, who at various times have been connected with the Hospital, beg respectfully, through the representatives of our city, to draw the attention of the Government to the extremely unsatisfactory administration of that institution.

“ We desire to bring under the notice of the Government the fact that while we were giving onr gratuitous professional services as officers of the institution, we found ourselves forced into strong antagonism with the present Hospital Board.

“We would remind the Government -that many of ua had for years rendered material serrices to the Hospital, and that after the abolition of the provinces we had initiated and carried out important reforms in the lay management of the institution, resulting in a large saving to the colony. When those reforms were brought into operation, and the lay management placed npon a more satisfactory basis, in view of the severe tax npon our time, wo urged the Government to entrust the whole management of the business affairs of the Hospital to a board of laymen. “ In accordance with our recommendations, a Board was called into existence. Through the unfortunate appointment of Mr J. Evans Brown, late member for Ashley, the present antagonism has been bronght about. Since Mr Brown became a member of the Board he has availed himself of every opportunity to asperse the whole of the profession. Immediately after he was appointed he tabled a resolution having for its object the removal frsm the Hospital of a staff which every member of the Board (Mr, Brown himself included) confessed had discharged their duties in a most satisfactory manner. In supporting his proposition he : adopted a most offensive tone towards the profession, which roused the feeling of antagonism before referred to. Mr Brown was. for, some.

time absent from Christchurch, and no further action was taken by the Board in the direction indicated by him. Daring that period the most perfect harmony existed between the Board and the staff.

“ On Mr Brown’s return, antagonism on the part of the Board towards the staff was ng%in manifested, and Mr Brown asserted that the prnf«fi«ioruU Jop«rtm« n t of the institution could not bo properly administered without its officers being secured by what he called ‘ public tender.’ “ The Board adopted Mr Brown’s suggestion, and without in any way consulting the staff, and contrary to the recommendation of your Government, and in terms so irritating and uncalled for that the staff had ino alternative bat to resign. “ We unhesitatingly assert that had that consideration been shewn which ■ men giving gratuitous services have a right to expect,- the staff would have agreed to any reasonable compromise. Mr Brown’s invective against the whole profession rendered it impossible for men possessing the slightest self-respect to make any overtures to the Board. The staff resigned:, the Board advertised for applicants to fill* tbe vacancies. Only five practitioners applied,, all of whom were appointed, and among the number, Mr Campbell, whom your government, had compelled to resign twelve months’ previously, in consequence of a Royal Commission, having found him guilty of improper and unprofessional oondnet, calculated to lower tho status of the medical profession. “ The new staff, finding.it impossiblato werk with Mr Campbell after unanimously censuring his conduct, with one exception, resigned tkeir appointments. “The Board again called for. tenders, bat were able only to secure, a Mr Tawnoud, whom, although legally qualified, the profession have never recognised, in consequence- of his advertising himself after tho manner ef a small tradesman.

“ The staff, at present; consists of three members, who the Chairman of the Board, at its last meeting, asserted were not on speaking terms. The Board cannot increase the- number of the present staff, as the whole ofi the profession have declined to serve with them. “ Public opinion, as expressed through the leading columns of ” The Lyttelton Times and other Christchurch papers, urges immediate interference on the part of the Government. “We would, therefore,, with the utmost respect, venture to suggest, as a solution of this very serious difficulty,, that the appointments of the present Board and staff should bo at once cancelled.

“ Wc have, Ac., “ James S. Tnrnball, M.D. “ William Deamer, M.D. “ Courtney Ned will, M..D. “ J. D. Frankish, M.D. " J. Llewellyn Powell, M.D. “■ P. Doyle, M.D. “ W. H. Symes, M.D. “ 8. A. Patrick, M.8.C.5., Eng., L.S.A., Lond. “ Edward Ellis, M.D. “ The Hon. Colenial Secretary.” That letter, he (the chairman) might say had only reached him the day previous, and no thought it only right to say that they were indebted to the kindness of the representatives of the city for a copy of the memorial of the medical profession, as it had been sent to tno Government without any notification whatever to the Board of its contents. He was glad to find however that their representatives had taken a different view of what was due to the Board, and had requested the Government to forward, a copy for their information. He thought it was very much to be regretted that no intimation had been given to the Board by tbo medical profession of the very serious charges which had been made to the Government against it. He must also say that he was both astonished and grieved to find that the first signature to that letter containing charges against the Board was that of one of their colleagues—a.proceeding on the part of Dr. Turnbull at which ho was astonished. The letter was composed of statements without a f ingle titt’.Q; ofi truth. He repeated it, that the statements.made therein were totally utifoucded. It was peculiar, as showing the way in which those matters were arranged, thvfc there were the same.- expressions in this document that were to be found an anonymous letter in tbo. Fbkss on this subject, appearing on the ’.recoding day. _ For himself he might say that he took no notice of charges made in anonymous, letters, and it would, be sufficient for him toisay that he had said noauch things as were attributed to him. The letter now before them from tbo Government would take a great care to answer, and it was one which differed from others of an official character, inasmuch as it would require to be answered by the Board and not by the chairman only. The charges wore very serious against the Board, and would require to he answered by stating si coyly facts from tb v s minutes of the Board. It would also ba necessary that an answer should be sent to the Government aa soon as possible* as the Government required the reply ©f the Board at fti early a date as. convenient. Ho would suggest that in the meantime the secretory should be instructed to inform the Government tfcat the ifouW tho matter re-.

1 f erred to in the letter of the medical practituenars as forwarded, and send their reply ns early as possible, and that in the meantime the appointment of a resident surgeon, as contemplated Jy the Board, would be held in abeyance, as requested by the Government. Of course in postponing- tho appointment of a resident surgeon there- was a- certain amount of responsibility incurred as to the safety and wellbeing of the patichts, Snt the responsibility would not rest on tho Jio.Vrd; [Hear, hear ] It would be tho result of the action of a portion cf the professional men of the city, because the Board could not proceed in the matter nntil a reply to tho very grave charges—charges which, as he had said, contained not a tittle of truth—had been sent, no action in the appointment of a resident surgeon could be taken. After some discussion, Mr Brown moved—“ That the letter of the Colonial Secretary be acknowledged, and that the Government be informed that the Board will forward a reply as soon as possible, and that in tlie meantime the Board will delay appointing a resident surgeon as desired by the Government.”

The Mayor of Christchurch seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Mr Brown said that he desired to say, as to the letter of certain mesical gentlemen in Christchurch, that it' contained statements which were wholly untrue, and which could easily bo refuted. He wished Dr. Turnbull to distinctly understand his (Mr Brown’s) opinion of tho position taken up by him in connection with the medical gentlemen in this matter, i Ho was surprised at the position he had assnmed, and contended that he had not acted in any way loyally by his colleagues on that Board. They had met Dr. Turnbull there, and had discussed all matters connected with tho Hospital not only in tho Board, which went before the public, but also in committee, whore it was considered a matter of honor that they •were dealing loyally with each other. He felt grieved that Dr. should sit there in confidential relations with them as a colleague of theirs on the Hospital Board, and that then, iu another place, ho should hare gone in to undermine what had been done by tho Board of which ho was a member. This might be Dr. Turnbull’s idea of medical etiquette, but amongst gentlemen it would be characterised by a harder name. He confessed he could not reconcile the conduct of a gentleman who met them there one cay te discuss in confidence ns a colleague the affairs of the Hospital and then on another day met gentlemen who were endeavoring to undermine the Board, and applying to the Government to remove them. Ho felt this the more because he (Mr Brown) had been specially aimed at in this letter, while Dr. Turnbull had been appointed to a seat on that Board at the request of Mr Montgomery and himself as the head of tho medical staff then in office. He thought that Dr. Turnbull should have retired when the medical staff did, and have shared their fate, whether in or out, but he did not do so. He might say that the opinion outside was that’ Dr. Tmmbnl’. should have retired, and the now head of the medical. staff taken his place. What Dr. Turnbull should have done was to have told his medical colleagues that he would act loyally by hia colleagues on the Hospital Board, and that he could not take any part in this matter with them. He (Mr Brown) desired publicly and emphatically to state that in no way had he acted antagonistic to the medical staff, as stated in the letter. He would now move —“ That the chairman be requested to draft a formal reply to the letter from certain medical practitioners in Christchurch to the Colonial Secretary, and submit the same for the approval of the Board.”

Dr. Turnbull desired to ask the chairman if he had the “ Gazette ” with the names of the members of the Board.

The Chairman replied that the names were in the minutes of the Board.

Dr. Turnbull—Then they were gazetted as private individuals were they not. The Chairman—Tea. Except the Mayor. ■ Mr Brown said that the Board recommended the appointment of Dr. Turnbull as the head of the medical staff.

Dr. Turnbull said he thought he was right in stating that the chairman was gazetted as being Mayor of Christchurch at the time.

The Chairman said that was not so. He was appointed as a member of the Board, because he had interested himself in getting the Board formed. The Colonial Secretary telegraphed that the Government looked to the city authorities to carry on the Hospital. The, reply to that was that the local bodies would have nothing to do with it. In reply to further communications he had stated thai he would have no objection to form part of a Board. The Government agreed to form a Board, comprising the Mayor of Sydenham, Mr Montgomery, the chairman of the County Connell, Mr J. E. Brown, and himself. Of these, however, Hon. Mr Hall had declined to act. Dr. Turnbull desired to point out to tbe chairman that when he was no longer Mayor of Christcbnrcb he still held office as chairman and member of the Board, although the present Mayor of Christchurch was a member of the Board. As to his conduct in signing the letter before the Board, he (Dr. Turnbull) held that. he had a perfect liberty to do so. Finding that there was no chance of carrying any resolution brought forward by him at that Board for redress to the profession to which he belonged, he had advocated an appeal for that redress to a higher power. He had felt it incumbent npon him to do what he bad to vindicate the honor of the profession to which he had belonged for a quarter of a century. He. said this, that for the benefit of the patients, the interest of the public, and tbe institution, tbe sooner the Board was dismissed the better. He was sorry to have to say this, but it was the truth.

The Mayor of Christchurch was very glad, to , hear Dr Turnbull profess such interest in the welfare of the patients. He had thought that, this had been bnt3 a secondary consideration, and that medical etiquette had been the first to be considered. He must say that in common with the other members he was surprised at the, action taken by Dr Turnbull. He felt sure of this that the public had erery confidence in the, medical staff as at present constituted, and that when the whole was placed before the public, they would see that the Board had done the best they could in the interests of the institution and the patients. Besides this, if there had ibeen,. the mismanagement alleged in the letter, why had not Dr. Turnbull, as a member ,of tbo, Board, taken means to bring it before the,, public. The ebairman said he desired to point out .that,, the letter was signed by some gentlemen who,, six weeks ogo, were under the Board, and by, one who was not in tbo province, when the matters referred to took place. Mr Brown, in reply, went lengthily into the. whole subject, and asserted that had-it not been, for the action of Dr. Turnbull at the Board in stating that the staff would not work under, the. Board, and those gentlemen conceiving themselves bound by his words, they would.,have,bad the whole staff reappointed. Some further discussion took. plq.ee, .and ultimately, the resolution having,, been seconded by the Mayor of Christchurch, was carried. Mr Brown drew attention to 3 letter ip, one of the papers, complaining of the diet, in the hospital. The chairman said that the matter would be enquired into by the, hospital committee, bnt the matter of diet was, in .the hands of the doctors. A letter was read from ShvSymes. stating that the late staff kept no minute book. Correspondence was read from the same gentleman, in which it was stated thattho minnte book of the staff was'private property. It was resolved—“ That the chairman be authorised to take what steps he deem, necessary to recover the minute .book.”

The report of the Master of the Orphanage was read, showing that at present there were sixty-four boys and thirty-nine girls in the institution. The Board then adjenrned.