Taihape Hospital Inquiry.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 January 1919, Page 4

Taihape Hospital Inquiry.

BEFORE FULL HOSPITAL BOARD.

THE MEDICAL AND NURSING STAFF EXONERATED.

The adjourned inquiry into the charge made against Bhe Taihape Public Hospital by Nurse Reid as to shortage of food and. treatment of patients, was resumed to-day at the Hospital. The matter was taken out of the hands of the local executive owing to the seriousness of the adult tional charges brought by Mrs. Reid who was acting as nurse at the time of the epidemic. The full membership of the Wanganui Hospital Board sat as a Board of Inquiry. There were present: Mr Lethbridge (chair)j Mesdames Comyns, Siddles, and Messrs. Pilkington, Simpson, Battle, Joblin, Ritchie, Fletcher, McGregor and Hinc. ,

Mr. Lethbridge said they had met to enquire into the charges made by Nurse Keiu, which were most serious.

Mr Joblin said lie had received the letter last night, and it was in the interests of the public and the hos--ptal that the charges should be probed to the bottom, especially the charges against the matron. If the charges were true the public and the press would hear all about it; if not true the charges were infamous. He was .strongly of opinion that the proceedings should be held in committee.

Mrs. Comyns and Mr. McGregor were decidedly of opinion that the chai'ges should be investigated in open Board, as they considered it was their duty to place the whole matter before the public. The other members supported this coftrUc, Mr. Joblin dissenting. Mr. Lethbridge then read the following letter from Nurse Keid: —

NURSE REID'S CHARGES. I have never received an acknowj ledgement of my letter to you, re complaints made by me against management of Taihape Hospital. But I hear there has been ian enquiry in which Miss RellTngs refutes statements made by me. I have no desire to gain publicity by making false declarations against a public instituton arid am quite prepared to prove the following statements to be correct: — 1. A girl gave birth to child at II p.m. no nurse with any knowledge of midwifery being present. She lay unattended until afternoon of following day. Matron '•'refused" to allow outside doctor to attend patient during Absence of Medical Supcrintendant. Girl died. 2. Man with mild attack of influenza, also intermittent pulse,, was admitted. Upon, elevation of temperature, was put on aspirin, 3 hourly, for several days. Patient died. 3. During my firs? week at hospital soup 'was not' provided for patients. When I inquired for some, I was informed by"~Sister Williams that Matron did not think patients required it. 4. Frequently when reporting for duty at night. I was informed that- there was not anything left for dinner for night rnir<s33With regard to No. 1. The girl was admitted from temporary hospital with double pneumonia. Her condition was but she put up a good fight, and had she received medical or even skilled attention when the child was born, there might have been a chance of her recovery, This chance was denied by the Matron. Why? No. 2 and 3. 'You have only to peruse butcher's order to note that soup moat was not supplied to hospital previous to December. The book will also show that 7 lbs. steak was expected to supply 20 adults, exclusive of night nurses. These complaints I have also voiced to Miss McLean and am quite prepared to Tciterato if necessary to Minister of Public Health. ■ —Mereia Ml Reid. MAY FRASER'S CASE. Nurse Reid, who was present, said the position as disclosed in the first statement in" the letter read was quite correct, iand just as she had stated. Witness asked Nurse Williams to get a doctor, but the matron refused. This particular patient received ' no medical treatment during the twelve hours she was on duty. She rang up Mangaweka to get a doctor, and Dr. ■-ker prescribed. Dr. B'oyd said there might appear a great deal in Nurse Reid's statement. When the girl came into the hospital he examined, her and found her condition was quite hopeless, as the child was dead, and had been dead for sometime. He went to Karioi and while away the child was born. Before leaving he told the nurse not to worry, ias there was nothing necessary to be done. To the Board Dr. Boyd stated the nurses could give- comforts to a woman in the condition the patient was

in. The patient was delirious and unconscious for some time. Dr. Boyd stated it was an instruction to the staff in case of an emeri gency arising in his absence another doctor should be called in. Dr Boyd fro Mr Joblin): Tho patient was sent up from the temporary hospital. Nurse Reid reiterated her statement „ that there was no skilled attendance during tho time she stated, ajid "\ (turning to ithe Members 'of the Jf Board). Nurse Ecid ejaculated: "How would you like your daughter to have been treated in that manner! 7 ' Mr. Lethbridge: Surely there was some. comforts rendered to the patient. Dr. Boyd: Comforts would have been no use; the girl was absolutely unconscious. Mrs. Comyns said she would be very sorry and heartbroken to think any daughter of hers had been unattended for so long. Mr. Lethbridge- said he could not believe a patient could have been left so long unattended. She must have been washed. Nurse Reid; Only her face and hands were washed. Could not change the sheets, as there' were none in tho hospital. Mr Battle said Dr. Boyd had taken the whole responsibility, on himself and asked if it was the doctor's practice when he left town to give instructions that nothing could be done. Dr. Boyd said this case was exceptional. Mrs. Comyns said it was terrible to think of the condition of this girl. There were a number of wo- ■ men in the Wanganui district afflicted while in this condition and a good many of them pulled through. While there was life s"urely there was hope. Mr. Fletcher: From the letter it would appear the patient was absolutely unattended. That is absolutely wrong, as Nurse Reid said she was with her. Nurse Reid: I refered to skilled attendance. Nurse Williams said she found the woman in a worse condition when in Nurse Reid's charge. The patient was in a pool of blood.

Nurse Reid: That is incorrect. The girl was in a restless condition, and there was a certain hemmorhagc. Nurse Williams said the patient died the following' day. Dr. Boyd came home in the meantime twelve hours before she died. In reply to a question Dr. Boyd said it was the first case of the kind. Mr. Batie: Did you leave directions that a local medical man should not be called? . Dr. Boyd Emphatically no. I will not have that said. The honorary staff are at liberty to come and go at their pleasure.. Nurse Reid said she received no i instructions before the child, was born, and was not aware there was anyone in the ward when the child was born. Dr. Boyd said he expected what would occur, and did exactly occur. The Matron said the child wasborn at 10.15 according to Nurse Reid's report. Nurse Williams (Ho Nurse Reid): You were not always in the ward as on one occasion I found you by the fire in the sitting room. Mrs Siddles: But Nurse Reid, as a married woman you could do something fc the patient. You had a responsible duty as a night nurse, and should not have been in a room far away. Nurse Reid said she had nothing to do at the time, and was sitting by the fire as tTio nights were cold. In reply to a further question, Nurse Reid said there weTe* "t>fheT patients to be attended to, and she had given particular attention to a dying babv. She had done all she possibly could. Moreover, s!*c-£ad not been told the exact nature of the special case. AIL she had been told was that it was scrious. She was riot looking for babies in the bed. This was not tie only serious case in the hospital. Others required attention, and she gave as much, to each as possible. Mrs. Comyns said Nurse Reid a voTuniteer Inurse .and not a (regular nurse. Cross-examined Nurse Reid said she had no instructions about the case before she went in; she had been told it was a serious case, but nothing more. She had not been out of the

ward long. ■CASE OF A RUGG. Mr. Lethbridge said they would now take the other charges. Nurse Reid then read a statement with reference to Mr A. Rugg, of Taihape. She said: When he was admitted he had not an extraordinarily high temperature for an influenza patient. I believe he was considered a mild case. The night following his admittance I. discovered he had an intermittent pulse, and this I re 4 ported verbally to Nurse Jpilliams thJlk following morning. A couple of days' after his admittance he complained of pain in the chest, also severe abdom-. inal pains. His temperature rose, and he was ordered aspirin by Dr. B'oyd. He was also on a four hourly dose of brandy. The aspirin was continued

for several days. Three or four days before I left the hospital he developed acute intestinal trouble. I reported j this both verbally and in writing. On November 6tlTl went on duty at 7 a.m., but only did a ward round, another nurse being on duty at the time, who attended patients until 9 pan. Between S and 9 o'clock I again motioned Rugg's condition to Sister wluiams, calling her attention to the abnormal stool, dwjßllng upon its freconsistency and odour. Until this time, although both the day nurse and myself had spoken and written about Rugg's bowel trouble, Sister "Williams had not examined a stool. The Sister Hold me that Dr. Boyd had intended prescribing for patients, but had forgotten to do so. She said she would phone Dr. Boyd and make up the mixture before going to bed, but later o n she told me the Matron would not allow her to phone the doetor, and it would do in the morning. She also told me Dr. Boyd had examined Rugg and found he had severe heart trouble, had taken him off aspirin, and that he had to be carefully watched, and not allowed to exert himself. I remained in the ward as much as possible during the night, only leaving to do treatment in the women's ward, and to occasionally look to other patients. I was on duty alone that night owing to the illness of the second nurse. Rugg's condition did not vary much during tho night, and I believe he died the morning after I left the hospital. Dr. Boyd said he would like to know what experience Nurse Reid jMfiin those matters. Rugg, wife of A. Rugg, was present, and said her husband did not get enough to eat, and was not properly nourished, otherwise he would have been here to-day.

Mr. Lethbridge read some extracts from a newspaper in which Mr. Eugg in a letter to his wife, stated that he did not get enough to eat, and was weak from want of food. He asked Mrs. Rugg if these statements were as reported. ' "; Mrs. Rugg answered in the affirm;, ative. Dr. Boyd said he knew Rugg "before his illness, in his home. It was on his advice he went to the hospital. He (the doctor) gave, most careful instructions as to his treatment. Heart complications developed. He gave him all the nourishment that was good for him. If patients were allowed to eat all and what they liked they would soon kill themselves. Rugg's was 104. •% Mrs. Eugg: I am sure if he had

been left at home ho would have been alive to-Gay.' He, at any rate, would have got proper nourishment. Her brother, who was in the hospital also craved for food. ' A friend passed him five or six prices of bread and butter, which he eat. He did not kill ; himself and left the hospital a day P"or two after. SHORTAGE OF FOOD. The charge contained in clause three of Nurse Ecid's statement were then ftakkm. \

Mr. Joblin ashed if it was inferred that the staff" and patients did not get enough to eat. Nurse Reid said: I could not get enough to eat. "Went to town several times to get things to eat. The first.week I was in the hospital there was no dinner put away. It was not luxuries I wanted. There was no cooked food on the table. She reiterated her previous staTement about the absence of soup, and said if soup was not good for patients why were soup, egg flips and other things provided for the matron when she was ill.

Mr. Joblin proceeded to ""oss-cx-amine Nurse Reid in an emphatic manner, when Mr. Battle took exception to the tone assumed by Mr. Joblin, which he characterised as an attempt at bullying witness; Mr. McGregor also voiced his disapproval of Mr Joblin 's methods. • Mr. Lcthbridge also considered Mr. Joblin somewhat emphatic in his nieThod of questioning. Mr Joblin denied any intentions of bullying. What he wanted was to get at the truth.

Mrs Comyns stated that patients in the Wanganui Hospital from Taihape Hospital had made complaints about the food.

Mr. Ritchie said if the Taihape Executive had kept in closer touch.with matters in connection with their own institution there would be no recessity for such minute enquiries. Mr. Lethbridge <-ht«k?d Ns.-rse Etid for her evidence, all <die ihen withdrew.

A MAIN TRUNK ACCIDENT COMPLAINT. A letter was. received from Mr, Geo. Palmer, of Tuakau. covering a letter from Thomas Kendall, who was injured when the train ran into the slip north of Mataroa on November Bth. Mr. Palmer traversed the management iot the hospital at considerable length. Mtf Thomas 'JKendall, in his letter to the that he had'not received proper attention to his. foot and side. No bands were put on his hands when ordered !>y the doctor. He asked the nurse if she could give him anything to relieve the and the nurse replied the doc-

tor had given no instructions. He could not get bathed, and crawled out of bed to bathe himself. He asked if ho could have a hot water bottle to get relief. Tho second night someone else wanted the bottle, and he objected to being deprived of it. There were also dirty clothes lying about the ward The writer had seen another doctor after he had left the hospital who told him he had been sadly neglected. Dr. Boyd characterised tho statement as utterly absurd. He saw Kendall every day and he was happy all the time. He examined aim again and again. Nurse Williams said the doctor ordered plaster bandages, but these ran short owing to the train accident, hut they soon procured a fresh Steele. Mr. Fletcher: What about the (IJrty clothes

Nurse Williams said '.he clothes were left there for only a short Dmc. They were in T .he midst of the epidemic, which came at the same time as the railway accident. To Mr. Joblin: Th.ire were ?2 patients in the hospital at the timo. The Matron (to Mr. JOi.Hn): Du- : r.g the period November Ift i.nd December Dl jmteats were v salt with. The hospital was equipped for 14, including staff. Mr. Pilkington: Did this patient go to the lavatory himself? The Matron: That was not so. Nurse Williaiis »to Mr. Lcthbridge): Kendall was examined and sponged every day.

Dr. Boyd said when patients are able to get up and about they are expected to attend to their own ablutions. In any case patients were washed as often as was necessary.

The Matron: Patients are all oatheu every day; m ordinary cases every ether day.

Mr Pilkington: How about hot water bottles? Is their only one in the hospital? Nurse Williams f There are ample hot water bottles. To Mr. Battle: The statement that there was only one hot water bottle is not true. There were more in stock. To Mr. Hine: Patients were bathed every day during the epidemic. Dr Boyd: Kendall was crushed but not dangerously so. Nurse Williams: It is not true there was no beef tea; it was always supplied when ordered by the doctor. Mr. Lethbridge read out Kendall's statements about the meals and beds and several members expressed the opinion that the effusian was the work of an agitator.

Mr. Lethbridge said he had been fold by some of the hospital patients they could not get lemon drinks. The Matron said if lemon drinks were necessary or were ordered they were provide!!.

Dr. Boyd said he did not allow patients as a rule to have lemon drinks. They were too acid for the liver. Mr. Joblin (to the Matron): I want you to tell the Boaru the difference in the food between the Wanganui and Taihape Hospitals.

The Matron: The only difference is wc allow" a chop or a sausage for breakfast as it is colder here. In Wanganui no meat is supplied for breakfast. The patients appreciated the provision of a chop or a sausage. Patients were quifo as well treated here as in Wanganui. To Mr B'attle: At first there was a difficulty in getting supplies of milk. For 18 months the supply had been ex cellciitj She would like to explain the statements 'macTe by Miss /Fleming; the late ccok that she was hot able to make milk puddings till the milkman called. She (the Matron) preferred that the milk puddings should be made with fresh milk. Miss Fleming was instructed to use water to soak the cereals overnight, and then the fresh milk was added. Made in this manner the puddings were in every way more digestible.

Mr. LcthFridge: Then the hospital arrangements ars run for the patients and not for econ-onr,-—Yes. 1 Mrs. Siddles: Was soup supplied before or after the epidemic?

The Matron: Soup was supplied whenever ordered. Soup was supplied at Wanganui 'at 11 o'clock There was no hot coffee or cocoa at night. The Chairman stated that was all the evidence.

Thc Chairman remarked that the patients had to he supplied with food in accordance with their medical requirements,, Mr. Joblin then moved that the discussion on the evidence submitted be held in committee. This time he had better luck with his motion, it being carried, the only dissentients who wanted a public discussion being Mesdames Comlyns. Siddles and Mc-Gre-gor . ; On the Board resuming from committee the chairman reported" that the following resolutions 'had been passed: "That the members oT the Board are of opinion that the charges are unproved and unfounded." The voting being: For: Mrs. Siddles, Messrs. Ritchie. Fletcher, Joblin, Simpson, andEine; Against: Mrs. Comyns, Messrs. McGregor, Battle, Lethbridge "That the members of the Board accept the doctor's explanation with regard to Rugg's Case" (Charge 2.) With regard to the shortage of food it was decided that the com-

plaint was not proved. Mr. Battle said he did not think this met the case and he moved an amendment that the Board was of opinion that uniTer the stress of circumstances and shortage of staff any remissness in that direction was unavoidable. This was rejected, the voting being the same as in the first division. The chairman gave notice of his intention to move at next meeting that a local committee be ■appointed to act in conjunction with the local executive and the chairman of the Board. Mr. Battle also gave notice of his intention to move: "That the executive go into the matter of the position of the honorary staff at Taihapo Hospital, with regard to the present by-laws, with instructions to suggest necessary alterations to put them on a satisfactory footing." The Board then adjourned. -