NEGLECT DENIED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 566, 19 January 1929, Page 1

NEGLECT DENIED

SURGEONS PROTEST f AGAINST CRITICISM SPECIFIC CASES REQUESTED A complete denial of neglect in attending upon patients following on operations at the Auckland Hospital is made by members of the honorary staff of the hospital. The denial is in reply to a statement by Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting of the board on Tuesday. That some surgeons performed operations, and did not see their patients again, was Mr. contenticxi. Too much was trusted “to the tender mercies of the junior resident doctors.” On the motii f of Mr. Wallace, the question of the attendance of surgeons U the hospital was to the Finance Committee for co«swstat%m with the medical superintendent. Dr. C. E. Maguire. In reply to a request for detailed complaints, Mr. Wallace offered to meet a committee of the honorary staff in order to explain the reason for his statement, and after due consideration at a special meeting the staff decided to send the following letter to the Hospital Board: "The chairman of the Hospital Board, m open meeting, has made charges of negligence against the honorary staff. We do not think any- useful purpose can he served by meeting the chairman at the present juncture. When we are informed in writing of the particular complaint which Mr. Wallace has received, the staff will be pleased to meet and discuss the matter.

"No member of the honorary staff is ronscious of neglect of his patients, ar.d the medical superintendent is also in ignorance of any fault. The honorary .' f taft as a whole take exception to the procedure adopted by the chairman in speaking of this matter publicly before any foundation for the complaints was investigated. ’