HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5278, 23 May 1928, Page 3

HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

THAMES AND WAIHI BOARDS. PAYMENT of outside fees. A conference between members of the Thames and Waihi Hospital Boards was held at -Waihi on Monday morning. Thq chairman of the Waj'ni (Mr J. E. Slevin) presided, and oMr members of' that board present wCTe Mrs S. F. Williams, the Rev. J. D. McFarlane, Messrs A. E. Robinson, E. Morgan, S. H. Brown, F. Haddings, B. Pascoe, and J. W. Tetley (secretary) and E. C. Westbury (town clerk, Waihi). The Thames Boa-td was re' ,1 presented by Messrs; W. Hale (chairman), P. E. Brenan, C. W. Keir ■ Body, and G. Tonge (secretary). ; After extending a welcome to t'he Thames members Mr Slevin said that the conference had been called of l ’, the purpose of discussing the payment of fees for patients from the Thames district to the Waihi Hospital, Board, and particularly those patients from the Waihi, Waikino, and Waitekauri ridings of the Ohinemuii CQunty. He expressed the hope that the two boards would be able to reach ah' amicable arrangement. The welcome was acknowledged W Mr W. E. Hale, who said that his board did not come jvith any definite proposal. What was chiefly concerning his board was the largei number of Thames district patients who were admitted to Waihi and were not urgent cases, and were charged at the J rate of 12s a day. It was rather un- - fortunate that the Thames distret we,nt up so close to XVaiHi; but even so, t'he Thames Board contended that it couOdj treat its own patients more cheaply and more satisfactorily than could the Waihi Board. In response to an inquiry Mr Tonge quoted five,cases that had beein admitted to'Waihi that were not considered to be urgent cases and should have been sent to Thames in the oi T ' di nary course. One patient, it was pointed out, had been -admitted to Waihi on April 26, and the Thames S) Board was not notified until May I'sThe Waihi Board’s secretary' stated yj that the fees payable for the cases to amounted to £66. To Mr Kennedy Mr E. Morgan said that friendly society patients at Waikino, which was outside the Waihi Board’s district, were taken at-conr cession rates. Mr Kennedy contended that no Thames district patients admitted to Wailii should be charged at the rate of 12s a day, as the fees were guaranteed. He quoted a number of cases which had been admitted to Waihi. If the Waihi Board could treat » friendly society patients from Waikino at the rate of 4s 6d a day, surely it should be prepared'to accept considerably less from patients from the Thames district, who fees were also guaranteedI Mr Slevin said that the ratepayers 4 in Waihi had to be protected. Mr Hale asked the Waihi Board if it WBfild b 6 prepared to renew the arrangement that existed some two years ago. That was, thdt the Thames Board would pay a lump, sum a year for alll patients from the Thames district treated at Waihi, and that the Wa.ihi Board have the right to collect all fees. In reply Mr. Slevin said .that his board had to be, very careful in accept! ng a IjUmP sum, -because the last year, the Waihi Board agreed to the arrangement it lost £lBOO. Mr Brown said tha.t the Waihi Board took many of the Thames district patients, which had resulted i’i a considerable loss to the Waihi Board. Dealing with the figures for j Thames district patients treated at Waihi over the last twelve months., Mr Brown said that out <tf a total, sum of £658 2s 6d> incurred in fees, patients had paid £145 7s 2< b friendly societies and allowances. £129 3s 6d, and £lOl 12s lOd was still due from Thames. Of the amount outstanding £5O 17s had been incurred by relief workers from the Waihi-Whangamata roadworks who belonged to no particular hospital district. If Waihi treated all the patients in Waikind and Waitekauri, and Thames drew the subsidy and collected the nates, the Thames; Board wouJ<d be on ,a remark- | ably “good wicket.” ~ Mr E. Morgan said that in 1909 the Waihi Board decided to retain! its hospital district within the borough. Whem that was done there was verylittle farming land round Waihi.. Now peculiar position had arisen. Many t of the farmers about Waihi were paying rates to the Ohinemuri County, and incidentally to the Thames Hospi-, tai, and paid borough rates on their Waihi property. Those people demanded to be treated at Waihi, arid rightly so. The Waihi Board had in- ■ creased its fees t'o 12s a day with the idea of forcing Thames district patients.- to their own hospital. How ever, many of those pa.tients adjacnnt to Waihi were prepared to pay the 12s rather than go away down to Thames. Friendly society patients did not pay any board; The Waihi Board did not want to treat Thames district patients, but many of them refused to go to Thames, In view of that fact the only .conclusion, to come to was /'V'for the Thames Bo.a.rd to give Waihi * the Waitekauri, Waikino, and Waihi ridings, Thames would not lose very much by the alteration of boundaries, and it would overcome a difficult position. Mr Haile said that if the boayd wasnot prepared to accept a lump sum from Thames, the only alternative was that the Waihi Board agree, to reduce the fees for Thames district patients fidfe 12& to 9s a day. Mr Kennedy contended that many of the. people at Waikino and round about were actually some- of the people. who had helped to erect the Waihi ‘ Hospital, and were to-day paying • rates to the Waihi Borough, and should be admitted at 9s a day at the most. ' Mr A. E. Robinson pointed out that it had been a mistake for Waihi to ha.ve accepted a hospital, district comprising the borough only. Patients from Waihi Plains-were admitted and j treated at a loss at the rate of £3 3s n week. He would only agree to a minimum of £4 4s a week, -especially

as Thames was collecting the rates and subsidies. ■Mr Haig said he regretted) to say that the Waihi Board was. not giving the Thames Board a fail- deal. In Auckland, Thames parents woul ( d not be admitted unless the fees were guaranteed.

To Mr, Pascoe Mr Tonge said that the cost per bed per annum at Thames last year was £155, compare I with £230 a bed at Waihi. The Rev. McFarlane said he thought that the conference had done, a certain amount of good, in so far as knowing the views of both boards. His chief concern was to( do the best possible for the s’ck and suffering, irrespective of which district they might be in. He did not think that the Waihi Board should come to a hasty decision. Mr Brown said that last- week he heard of one pat’ent who had stated tnar sue preferred to pay 12s a day at Waihi rather than go to Tha.mes at 9s a day. Mr Haie said that even if Waihi reduced its fees to £3 3s the Thames Board would not guarantee any bad debts. So long as Waihi charged 9s a day and i/ijok the risfo of bad debts Thames woujd perhaps come to terms. If that could not, be done, Thames would stand firm and. insist on reference being made to the beard before arty patient was adnrtted to Wa.ihi unless it be a serious accident or other urgent case.

Mr. Brown contended that the. doctor was the only person capable of judging what was an urgent case. He thought , the Thames; Board had very littlq to complain about. Mr Slevin said 1 that he had no grouse against Thames, and 'he had nothing but praise for the way patients were treated at that institution. The two boards wei'q anxious to protect their ratepayers, and at the sn.m g time provide for the sick and needy. If the Thames Board woul,d name ;a. lump sum his. board would consider it and advise Thames. Mr Brenan said that Thames was quite willing for Waihi to treat some of its patients so long as the fees charged were not a hardship bn the Thames Board. There were many difficulties, and undoubtedly the three ridings found that their community of interest was with Waihi. Apparent]) the best solution was a readjustment of hosp’tal district boundaries. The Thames Board Had' not taken the matter up in an aggressivei spirit, but it had to protect its ratepayers. It was not a fair comparison to suggest that because Thames had received £450 last year and had; paid Waihi only a.bout £l3O, the Thames Board had made a big profit. In. answer to Mr Pasc-oa Mr Hale said that it was only fair,, if Thames gave Waihi"the three ridings, that Thames should receive an area, °f equal rating value from the Waikato Board.

The conference then terminated.