POSITION OF MATRON

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 847, 16 December 1929, Page 10

POSITION OF MATRON

DISMISSAL REVERSED BY HOSPITAL BOARD INQUIRY TO BE SOUGHT from Our Oicn Concspondcut TACMARUNUI, Saturday. After having given the matron of Avonlea Maternity Home notice of the termination of her engagement. the Taumarunui Hospital Board reversed its decision at a special meeting today and a departmental inquiry into the whole question is to be asked for. I The resolution of the board terrain-1 ] ating the matron's service came as a I I great surprise to everyone except the j j officials concerned and the meeting dealing with the question was not open I to the Press. The matron was not given an opportunity to learn what charges wore levelled at hei. or to make a statement in her own defence. This resulted in a good deal of newspaper correspondence inimical to the board, and pressure was brought to bear by a firm of solicitors acting on behalf of the matron. Mr R. V.V Pickin gave notice of motion to the effect that the resolution giving effect to the dismissal be reconsidered, and when this came forward at the board's usual monthly meeting yesterday, the chairman, Mr. R. P. Beautrais, refused to accept it ;on the ground that the subject had | been finally disposed of. I Mr. Pickin thereupon moved that the board disagreed with the chairman s i ruling. Mr. Denison took the chair and on putting the motion it was carried. CHAIRMAN MUST PRESIDE After having ascertained that if the j chairman was present at a meeting he must preside, Mr. Beautrais resumed | the chair and the hoard discussed the ! notice of motion. Discussion elicited the fact that the matron’s dismissal had apparently been largely determined on as the result of a confidential report sent in by the superintendent of the home, Dr. E. H. Howard, which was read in committee. Later in open meeting Mr. Pickin challenged any member of the board to make a definite complaint against the matron, and said he regarded it as only fair that the board should reconsider the whole .position. He exploded a bombshell by reading a copy of the following testimonial given to the matron by Dr. Howard after the board had given her notice of dismissal: — DOCTOR'S TESTIMONIAL “Nurse Mary Kathleen Stevenson has been matron of our Avonlea Maternity Home for the past 18 months. She has shown more than the average knowledge of her work, has been industrious and capable in the performance of her duties, and has kept the place in excellent trim. 1 have pleasure in recommending her for any position for which she is qualified.” The notice of motion to reconsider the question was carried by five votes to two, and the board resolved to hold a special meeting this morning, when Dr. Howard and Miss Stevenson, the matron of Avonlea Home, would be asked to appear. Dr. Howard objected to the meeting being open to the Press, as he considered it too "sacred a matter to discuss in public,” but the board resolved to allow the pressmen to attend. Dr. Howard was put through a lengthy cross-examination by the members regarding his report, and the issuing of such a good reference afterward. He said it was on both professional grounds and on account of the matron’s administration of the home that he was dissatisfied. He was prepared to support the board in any action it took. In her evidence Miss Stevenson said that when she received notice of her dismissal she went to Dr. Howard and he had told her he had no complaints. He wished her a happy holiday and afterward gave her the testimonial. She gave statistics regarding the cases i treated at the home by the doctor, ■ and the number of visits he paid there. He had never told her he was dissatisfied. The board finally resolved to ask the department to hold an inquiry into the whole position, and to hold back three applications for the matron’s position already received.