Parent's Complaint

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 128, 16 June 1937, Page 6

Parent's Complaint

SOILED BED-LINEN AT HOSPITAL Child's Hair Had Become a "Mass of Lice" EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY Statements that when she visited her small daughter in the Shrimpton Ward of the Napier -Public Hospital she found that the girl's frair was a "mass of lice" and that she had reason to complain of the condition of the bed-linen were made to-day by a parent to the Royal Commission investigating the management and administration of the Napier Puhlic Hospital. The morning waa occupied with the hearing of evidence from the charge nurse of the ward at the time of the outbreak of an infectious disease among the children, and from parents of the patients. A charge nurse who had been in the Shrimpton Ward for about eight months said' that before her evidence she had spoken to Dr. Berry and the sister about the case, but she gave an assurance that her evidence would not be influenced by the conversations. Witness said that one- day after tho sister xeturned from leave, witness left for a refresher course and she had no recollection of any entry regarding one of the children. Mr Foden: Can you giive any explanation of how two temperature-sheets could be missing? Witness: I didn't know anything about it until two days ago. I presume that the sister told you of it? — "That so." Book for Bath Temperatures. Would it mean tliat the temperatures had not been taken during that period? — "Apart from the charts there is another book in whach hot bath Temperatures are recorded." Caa you offer any explanation of their destruction ? — ' ' No. " You know nothing about their disappearance ? — ' 'No." Were you aware that the knowledge of the treatment was being withheid from the medieal superintendent and the honorary doctor? — "I am not sure about the doctor, but the superintendent knew.'-' How did he know? — "I told him." Did you urge the sister to tell the superintendent of it? — "I can't remember. ' ' Come on, eome onl Did you? — "I may have done so." "She is apparently actuated by feelijigs of loyalty to the sister," commented Mr Foden. "Do you regard truth to the community at large or xoyalty to the sister as the one you should prefer?" Witness did not answer, her eyes iilling with tears. Witness said that she kept up her Studies and kept abreast of the nursing technique.'*" There was another nurse under witness 's control for the technique of the treatment, but witness did not consider her altogether suitable, as she lacked a sense of responsibility.

Au Earlier Collapse. Referring to the child that collapsed, witness said that treatment was suspended owing to a cold. Before this suspension the patient had had a collapse. A nurse bathing the child drew^ witness 's attention to the collapse. The child recovered within a few minotes. Mr Foden: Did you think the child had a. fit? Witness: A very mild one. Did you report the collapse?;-^" Yes, to the sieter-in-charge." Was it part of your duty to record the fact? — "It was for the sister to do." So you are certain you told her? — * 1 Oh, yes. She saw the child five minutes after the return of the child to the ward." Sir James Elliott: The child was pulseless? Witness: Yes. And blue in the face?— " Yes,'' Were not these facts con3ietent with a circulatory disturbance of the heart? — "That would be out of my sphere to say." Continuing, witness said to Mr Foden that in the course of an informal talk with the sister she was told that on the previous day the bath temperature bad reached 120 degrees. Mr Foden: .Do you recollect any of the parents asking why tho children were being isolated? Witness: I don't think they realiscd they were being isolated. Did some ask why the children were put into the side rooms? — "Smne did. and I referred them to the medieal superintendent and the matron." You were not authorised to tell the parents what was wrong wilh the children? — "That is correct." Replying to Miss Cecilia McKenny. witness said that the nurse complained of had had one year's tuaining; She had had no experience in nursing infectious cases. Witness admitted that probably the reasons she considered the nurse lacldng responsibility were that the nurse had liad no px-actical experience and had lacked adequale instruction.

Cooled the Bath. Mr. A. E. Lawry (for Dr. Berry and tlie sister): When you were supervising the bathing on one occasion you found the temperature of tbe bath 116 degiees? Witness: Yes. Wfiat did you do? — "I • immediately cooled the water." You knew the bath treatment was prescribed for Dr. Berry 's patients? — "Yes." Did lie know that it was being given to- the honorary doctor's patients? — "Yes, 1 tliink so. ' ' Mr. Foden: Did the medieal superintendent know the baths were special treatment? — "1 could not say that." Mr. C. G. E. Harker (for certain parents) : The first collapse of the child was an important fact in the history of the patient? Witness: Yes." So much so that you would have en - ttre4 it in the ward book? — "Oh, j*9bs"

Had you been iu charge of the ward, would you have reported it to the medieal superintendent or the honorary surgeon?— "Yes." Were you in charge at the time of the collapse? — "No, the sister would be." You were worried about the treatment? — "No; I was not worried about that." What was worrying you?— "I was worried about the responsibilities that the sister had to carry." Was it because you knew the sister was not conveying certain information to the superintendent? — "I was to a certain extent." Why were you worried? — "The children were being bathed without orders. ' ' Did you tell the sister that you were worried? — "No." Was the sister worried? — "Not unduly. ' ' Replying to Mr. W. E. Bate (on behalf of the board), witness admitted that it was the extension of the bath treatment that increased the work of the ward and made it necessary to have assistance. She could not say that the matron was aware that the treatment had been extended when the xequest was cnade for assistance. Witness added that Dr. Berry very frequently saw the children about bathing time. He certainly took an interest in his own patients, but he also took a general interest in the other children.

Did the Honorary Know? . Mr. Bate: Do you know if the honorary doctor knew anything about the treatment? Witness; I can't answer that. Had you any reason to suspect he knew? — "Not that I am aware of." Did the honorary doctor see the children having the treatment? — "He had little to do with the patients." Did you not realise that there was an element of risk in giving this treatment to the other children? — "I didn't think theretwas any danger." Surely you thought there was some risk? — "I was assured by Dr. Berry that it was all right." Did you regard the small tempera-ture-book as part of the ward records? —"Yes." * Would you be surprised to learn that the sister had taken it away and. brought it here? — "Yes." And you could not justify that?— "No." You knew that the book was not known about by the superintendent or the honorary doctor? — "I don't know much about it." Do you not realise that you were engaged in an irregular proceeding?— — "I don't know that I thought about ik'' Do you realise it now? — "I admxt that it was irregular." To further questioning as to whether the superintendent kneijv of the treataient, witness stated that she had asked the sister if he knew. She had not urged her to tell him. The next witness, a mother of one of the children, said that she was informed by another mdther that thp child had been affected by the disease. She said she asked why her children had bfcen put into another room and was told that it was put there for com« pany. On one visit witness looked at the chart and noticed something thereon about swabs. The nurse saw her lcoklng at the chart, and on subsequent visits the chart wag not there. Mr. Foden: You were not told that the child had contraeted the disease? Witness: Not until about two months after. Were you told about the hot baths? — "No." What were you told? — "That the child was making steady progress." ou did ask about tho disease?—* "Yes." What were you told? — "That every effort was being made to prevent the disease from spreading." To Mr. Harker witness said. her consent to the baths was not asked for. Mr. Harker: After the death of the child' you were told ,about the treatment? Witness: Yes. When you were told that the temperature of the bath was as high as 120 degrees were you alarmed? — "Well I thouglxt it seemed too hot for a little child/" . You were given no opportunity to be assured on the point? — "No." You knew Dr. Beiry was treating the child?— "Yes. I saw him and he assured me that everything was_ being done in the interests of the child.'

Lice In Child 's Hair. Another mother oi one of the children who was two years of age; was the next witness, and she described an interview with the medieal supex'intendent in the offlco of tho board chaitman. Witness said that she was not satisfied with the conditions provided for the ehild. She described the clothes as "dirty" and said that the child 's head was a ' ' mass of lice. ' ' Witness actually took a sheet off the bed to show to the assistant medieal superintendent. Mr. Foden: What did he say? Witness: I didn't see him. I only saw his nurse and never heard anything more about it. Was there any improvement later? — "Yes." Tlie sheet you ■ took was soilod?— "Yes." You are sure that the same sheet was on all tho time? — "Yes. I know the child was lying on a wet sheet for an hour. ' ' What happened about the lice? — "They eut off the child 's hair. She had fier fiead washed several times after tliat." You spoke about it? — "Oh, ycs, to a nurse, wlio said that they fiad not uotii-ed the lice." Mr. Mosley: Did they cut the hair shorl? Witness: Oh, no. Only in patehes where the lice were.* Did you, smell disinfectant on the sheet? — "No. " Witness said she had not been informed of the treatment, but considered liiat slie should have bee« informed. ln reply « to a question by Mr. Harker, w'ltuess said tliat slie would have t'oilowed tlie advice of ihe doctor. Mr. Foden: Wfiat happened about the lice ? Yfitness: They cut the hair off, and her condition improved later. TJic chairman: Wfiat sort of hair was it? Witness: lt was long, straiglit, black hair. Did they cut it sliortf — "Oh no. They just cut pieces off." Did they ask your permission? — "No." Would you liave given it? — "Yes." Miss McKenny: Where wero the lice? ; Witness: There were a lot ou onc i isi.de of the head,