WELLINGTON HOSPITAL ENQUIRY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1158, 25 September 1882, Page 2

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL ENQUIRY.

[BY TELEGRAPH.]

(PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. Re City Council’s Hospital Enquiry. The Committee’s report, published, exhaustively reviews the whole circumstances and evidence. After considerable difficulty in arriving at anything definite, it says the charges resolved themselves into the following :—l. That Dr Gillon’s temper unfitted him to occupy the position of resident surgeon. 2. That his constant absences from the Hospital amounted to reprehensible neglect of duty ; the committee do not find that either of these charges are sustained by the evidence. After reviewing this evidence it adds that a careful scrutiny of the evidence of the patients, past and present, shows one unbroken line of testimony to the complete absence of any exhibition of harshness or hastiness on the part of Dr Gillon towards them : and the officials themselves, who appear to be the only persons who have spoken upon this subject, admit that the hastiness of temper to which they referred was due to Dr Gillon’s anxious desire to give effect to instructions contained in the reorganisation report; it is also worthy of note that the complaint book which has remained at the door of the hospital for 18 months contains only one entry ; the complaint by the patient Stace against his discharge by Dr Diver. The committee, therefore, are of opinion that this charge must be pronounced to have fallen to the ground, In regard to the second charge, the report says Mr Hodgson himself was the only person capable of giving direct evidence upon the question, and his evidence was very emphatically against the allegation ; the committee, therefore, dismiss tills charge from their minds without further comment. This disposes of the specific charges against Dr Gillon himself. Following upon these came a number of very serious allegations, made by Councillor Newman, against the whole management of the institution ; these statements not only brought the institution into disrepute locally, but made the name of the Wellington Hospital a reproach in all the large centres of population in the Colony, where they were published by the newspapers us statements of fact. It will, perhaps, assist to put things in their proper light if Councillor Newman’s position in the matter is clearly explained ; it should not be forgotten that “his own feeling for some time had been that the hospital bad been badly managed,” This expression of opinion came with singular force from Councillor Newman. On the 15th December, 1881, Councillors Newman and 1 iver wereappointed permanent members of the Hospital sub-committee, the other members served on the sub-committee by terms, according to vote, but Or# Newman and Diver were appointed members in order that the Council should at all times be able to avial itself of their expert knowledge and advice in the prevention of abuse or mismanagement of any kind whatsoever. The especially defined duties of the sub-com* committee are “to visit the hospital and attend to its internal management.” Since the 10th December, sixteen meetings of the sub-committee have been held, and the attendance of the permanent expert members and o" the mayor has been Councillor Diver, 12; the Mayor, 6; Councillor Newman, 4. Clearly, Councillor Newman, having accepted the position of permanent head of the subcommittee, was barred from playing the part of public accuser. Having elected to take up that position in his allegation, if they fell with any force upon the institution it is undoubted that they ought to fall with ten-fold force upon himself if he knew that, for some time past, the hospital had been badly managed, the confession did not come from him with a good grace, for his attendance at four meetings out of 16 does not display any alarming amount of interest in the welfare of the institution; and the committee understand it to be Councillor Newman’s interest in the welfare of the institution which prompted him to make the statements. The town is full of rumors. It is unnecessary to notice that the case of the epileptic girl, Clara Valentine, “who was hardly treated ; who was douched with cold water; who was allowad to lie in her wet clothes all night; who was found, poor helpless thing, under a table in a fit, with nothing but a half-witted girl to attend to her, and who died only a foi tnight or three weeks ago,” could only justly be construed as a very serious allegation against the hospital officials. All the circumstances detailed in this statement, were very carefully enquired into. After reviewing the evidence, especially that of Dr Collins, one of the visiting staff, whose patient Miss Valentine was, the report said it does not appear to the committee that the resident surgeon could do any more, or that more was needed to be done. Finally, the principal charge, having been proved to be carelessnefes, the remainder vanished into absolute nothingness. Thu “hardships endured by the patients ” were unknown to the patients themselves until thuv saw the statement in the newspapers. After careful consideration of all the facts, the committee have come to the conclusion that the charges made against the resident surgeon and against the hospital itself have no foundation in fact. They further wish to express their regret that an institution which is in every sense a credit to the city, should have been brought into disrepute by the circulation of statements which, if true, would unquestionably reflect the greatest discredit not only upon the hospital officials, but upon the city council, whose duty it is to see that the affairs of the institution are economically and efficiently administered, and that the requirements of the sick, poor are not neglected or forgotten. To sum up the result of the investigation, the committee have decided, in the interest of the institution, to suggest the following changes for adoption by the Council; 1. That there should be no permanent members on the hospital sub-committee, but that all members of the Council shall take their turn on the rota in the ordinary manner. 2. There was no evidence before the committee as to fees having been paid by poor patients, but in order to avoid all questions In future as to the ability of a patient to pay hospital maintenance or medical fees, it is recommended that a now form of admission order be drawn up which shall contain these questions to be answered by the member of the Council who gives the order :—Can the patient pay the ordinary hospital maintenance charges ? Cun the patient pay for medical services? 4. That all communications from the resident surgeon on matters of importance be first laid before the subcommittee. The town olerk to act only in casus of emergency, and then only after con* I sulfciUwn tke or hro uuatfoiUore. |

5. That at the expiration of the term of office of the present honorary staff, the term of office be two years instead of five as at present.