N.Z. Hospitals are Behind Australian

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 325, 10 April 1928, Page 9

N.Z. Hospitals are Behind Australian

THE 'COMMUNITY SYSTEMSURGEONS IN FAVOUR Believing tnat New Zealand Hospitals are behind Australian »n the staffing and arrangements for service to the community, the Dc minion delegation of surgeons, which returned from Canberra yesterday, is endeavouring to have the deficiency made up. “Community hospitals." achenn > which are working successfully in Xco South "Wales and Victoria, are to b recommended to the Minister of Public Health and the Director-Gener. : of Hospitals by Sir Louis Barnet:, professor emeritus of surgery at O: - • Cni versify. who returned bv th Aorangi yesterday, and Sir Don i McGavin, of Wellington, two of the delegates. Under the “community system ’ poor patients are given free service b . senior and assistant surgeons in*i special wards are kept for the moi ■* prosperous people who are prepared to pay. These are given a choice of doctors and the advantage of the mot modern equipment. The delegation has attended th« first annual meeting of the College c Surgeons of Australia and New Z< land. The feeling of surgeons was practically unanimous that New Zetland ought to subscribe to the community hospital system because r provided more adequately for all classes. HONORARY STAFFING Honorary staffing was considered * • be an advantage in hospitals, for this was the only way to bring the younger men into contact with the senior aui - geons. The stipendiary system debarred a large number of promising men from giving service to the community. It was in the interests of the public that an adequate number of surgeons should be in training at the hospitals. The college has now 250 foundation fellows, of which 53 are New Zealanders. One of its chief concerns is the efficient education of young men who show ambition to become surgeons. The policy of the college is “to improve the standard of surgery technically and ethically in the interests of public welfare.” Its function is to select surgeons on professional and ethical report, supple - nwmtod by th# record of adeqnat clinical experience, for the diploma of fellowship, or F.C.S.A. The congress had recommended hospital boards to call in the aid of som advisory body which might be more competent than the average hospital board member to judge the suitability of candidates for vacant positions. The strongly-expressed desire of fellows was that they should be allowed to give their services to the sick poor gratuitously in accordance with the traditions of the medical profession. The surgeons who returned by the Aorangi were Dr. W. A. Fairclough and Mr. Carrick Robertson. Auckland. Dr. Leahy and Dr. Wilson, Hawke's Bay, and Sir Louis Barnett. The Commonwealth Government has given the option for five years of a site on th© educational reserve at Canberra to the college, which may decide, at some time, to build on it.