HOSPITAL BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1932, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD

APPOINTMENT OF MATRON

stringent ECONOMIES urged

The Westland Hospital Board met last evening when there were present Messrs W. Jeffries, T. W. Duff, H. Wells, W. A. Jamieson, R. Meharry, W. H. Evenden, M. Keenan, E. W. fleenan. In the absence of the chairman (Mr J. J. Breeze, «enr.), owing to illness, /Mr Jeffries was appointed to the chair. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Breeze and Davidson. .Eighteen applications were received for the position of matron at the Westland Hospital in .succession to Matron .Strongman, the matter being considered iir committee. It was later reported that fcister Anderson, of Gore, had been appointed to the position. The Department of Health wrote renewing the appeal to Boards to effect economies wherever possible. Regard, ing the Westland Board’s estimates, the Department made several recommendations.

The chairman said that the Board had i endeavoured to meet the Department, wherever possible. I A sub-cOmmittee to deal with the matter reported that it ihad recommended a reduction ill 'surgery and anaesthetic fees, and salaries. The estimates had beeii amended, but the Depart-j merit's 'suggestion that hospital fees he increased to adults 12s and children 6s per diem, the sub-committee had decided inadvisable to do. The levies for the year would be Weftland County | £1636, Borough £766, Kumara Borough j £47. and Rose Borough' £39. | : The chairman said that, as far as 1 possible, they would have to adhere to the strict .stringent conditions laid down 1 by the Department, but a slight im- 1 provement might be noticed toward the ' end of the year. - The Public Trust office notified that,; 1 as the result of present conditions, and A also, of measures taken* by Parliament, | ( it had been found necessary bo reduce 1 1 (the' interest on monies invested in the . - ■ Public Trust:. 1 Dr J. C. ,Mc T ntyre wrote reporting; f that a Westland Hospital patient was j 1 making satisfactory. progress at Christ-. J church' Sanatorium. | ' ■ The. ’secretary, read an -application } from/a 'Wellington man for a position 1 as"' a' iriale'v nimte. - Tpie. letter nvas received, it being stated that such oases 1 were not infrequent.

The = surgeon superintendent reported as follows: Patients remaining at end I of May, 15 miles, 14 .female, 29 total ; admitted, during month 16, 16, 32 ; total treated 31, JO, 61; discharged cured 13, 12, 25; relieved, '2, 2; died, ■females 1; discharged Ady remaining May 31st, 1-7 j 16, •33 * number receiving indoor’ treatment twd months ■ in 10 i 5, i 5: |

The chairman said that Seeing that' it was imperative /that strict economy should be practised, and in view of the fact that they had a good finance committee, it had been suggested that | meetings be held every two north L ! the samo athe County Council. This system could be adopted without im ■. pairing the efficiency of the working! ol the hospital, and at the same time : it would .mean a saving of about £4O. /Members supported ', the motion which was carried. I '

The appointment qf committees was proceeded with as follows:—Finance,! all members, Mr Duff chairman; House, I all members, Mr Davidson chairman , 1 ißeserver, Messrs Jeffries (chairman),! Jamieson and Davidson ; Fees, all j town members, Mr fleenan chairman; ’■Benevolent officer; Mr Duff. I Accounts amoilnting to £231 5s 7d were passed for payment. j Mr Duff reported that two nid’ses j had completed their time, and it was j (for the Board to decide whether i: ■would be advisable to retain their services or ’to engage two other probation-

ers in their place. The matter was left in the hands of a sub-committee.

The treasurer reported receipts amounted to £415 2s d and expenditure to £346 7s Id. There was a debit balance of £4Ol 10s Id.

The action of the secretary in issuing a summons to an ex-patient at the hospital for the recovery of fees was. approved. It was reported (that the patient had received excellent treatment, and was in a position to pay. An application from a resident at Kumara for admission to the Old Alan’s Home was declined.

REPORT ON CONFERENCE

Mr Davidson, the Board’s delegate

to the annual Hospital Boards’ Conference at We.lington, submitted a report to tile meeting dealing with the outstanding features. In’this lie stated that the appeal to Boards as a whole to observe economies had been responded to in welcome manner although a few, perhaps, were not alive to the difficulties. Estimates. Year 1930-31, £1,135,791, Year 1831-32, £973,293, a reduction of about £162,000 or 14 per cent. Indoor Relief.—Expenditure wa5£102,598 £102,598 for 1931-32 as against £113,-

336 for the previous year. Outdoor Relief—increased from £201,618 in 193031 to £273,167 in 1931-32. More than Half this expenditure, some £140,000, Was in iesjiect of unemployed. The actual expenditure bn outdoor relief last year was £95.000 above the estimates expenditure, the estimate being £177,810, ae against an actual £273,167, Receipts from patients’ fees last year were £358,000 compared with £374,963 for the previous year, a decrease of £I7OO or per oent. Advances by Treasury to as«ist Boards, £67,000, with borrowing powers to assist maintenance purposes, totalled £150,000. Allocations. —Government financial resources are considerably decreased, and Boards are requested to effect savings to relieve the position. (Subsides.—On the recommendations of tile National Expenditure Commission it may be difficult for Boards to" function, but with the recent alteration of the law in the Finance Act due to voluntary contributions and bequests l through windfalls, some Boards unduly benefited whilst others suffered. In Conclusion the Minister (Hon. J. A. Young) said he had informed the Minister of Unemployment that Boards willing to help i in relieving the unemployed would have to be repaid out of the. unemployment fund of the Consolidated

Fund. New Legislation for Hospital Boards. —The Minister stated the Bill was printed in November for introduction,but pressure with other legislation prevented it being brought forward, viz, provision increasing the permissable 1 value of a member of the Hospital Board, bringing into line 1 with the Municipal Corporats. Act. I Valuations for levy and subsidy pur- ■ poses, providing the Valuer General to certify to capital of rateable property on the* first day of April so that the fjoliedulc turn be determined on or 1m« fore the 18th. April, residence to be extended from three months to six. Creating of a charge under the Worker’s Compensation Act, the provisions chiefly affect motor accident cases, Motor Vehicles Insurance Third Party Risks, 1928. | Practice of Surgery.—Sir John McGavin, and Doctors Stout and Wylie, addressed a conference in relation to the appointment of surgeons by'Hcispital Boards, recommending that appointments be made on the advice of the medical committee. They urged that, wherever possible, all major operations be carried out in one of the larger Hospitals. Uniformity of Nursing Staff was referred to by the Minister, who dealt with the number of staff per occupied beds, daily average of occupied beds, proportion • of trained nurses, hours of duty, 8 hours per day, one day off per week. Variations of Salaries.—Some pay £3O, £4O and £SO first year, 2nd. ! and 3rd. respectively, some £SO, £6O and £7O. Staff nurses’ salaries vary from £75 to £IOO, Sister £llO to £175. It waft moved by the Chairman ;; and carried that a letter of sympathy l with Mr Breeze in his illness be sent , to him.

Dr. Watt spoke of hospital system under comparison, and beds, patients, and length of stay. Amendment to proposal to be considered bv special committee. Dr. Campbell Begg’s proposals, that machinery for the consideration of reducing the number of hospital districts should be provided, and should he based on the principle that the details in the first instance be worked out by the Districts concertid.