HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 98, 14 April 1908, Page 3

HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

A KIFI L\ THE LLTE. DIET, DIXIXG-fiOOM, AND DIVEUSIOX. It is a very rare occurrence for tin >ew Plymouth Hospital and its management to be adversely criticised bv the members of the Hospital Board". Generally the comment is of a totally different nature. lesterdav what proved to be minor grievances were aired by Messrs. J. Brown and Andrews, .ind later on, wliiUi diseu„in" the rating question, the chairman drew back the curtains and allowed davli dit ill upon some detects in the institution. Mr. Brown said that there were frequent complaints that tliere was no dining-room (or female juticn! ;in ,| when convalescent they must eat all their meals in the wards, lie had frequently "harped"' upon this matter, but without result. There should be a room provided, or else the female patients should be allowed to use the diningroom already in use. He saw no objection to that course, and the lady who complained to him had stated she would not have objected, either. Ue would not fancy his meals in a ward where there were patients suffering, and it must be very distasteful to people just ' recovering. ]

The chairman said he intended dealing with this at a later stage. Mr. Brown said he had yet another matter to bring forward. Was it permissible for the matron and the head nurse to be absent at the one time from the Hospital? lie had seen them away from the institution, bent upon their own pleasure. He had no objection to the nurses taking liberty and pleasure, but he objected to their measure of it, and people were talking about it outside. Their nurses were reported to be overworked. He did not think this could be true, especially in the light of inlormation given him that

cix or seven nurses had been absent one afternoon. He didn't like this, and the public didn't like it either, tie latter saying that it might lead to trouble as at Auckland recently. Ue desired to make it quite plain that so long as he was on the lioard he was nut going to be run by the Uo»pitai stall", be it doctor, matron, or auvuiie else.

The chairman said that of course the night staff was at liberty to take an tiling in the day. There was nothing to prevent the matron and head nurse being away together, so long as a "charge nurse" were left in the institution. As the head nurse had to take her turn at night duty ii would be unreasonable to ask her to take charge in the day whenever the matron wanted to go out.

Mr. Lcpper (secretary) explained tliat the nurse* had to work eight hours on, and were entitled to do as they liked in their off time. He himself was the culprit in the crime of taking the six Buries for an outing to the hunt last Thursday afternoon, and he would do it again, so long as he had £1 in his pocket. If people had complaints to make they should come to the Board, or write. These nurses were on the night staff, and had an afternoon oIT. They were his guests, and if people were nto make complaints of this kind ■ought it time to tell people to mind their own business. The matron and head nurse were left in the Hospital, with the full day nursing staff. Mr. McDonald said that he always insisted on people putting their complaints in writing, otherwise he declined to bring them before the Board. Mr. Brown: "I say that when this kind of talk is going on outside we hate to inquire." Were it a serious allegation he would hare asked for a written complaint. This was a minor matter, but it might lead to trouble. He did not say there was anything wrong about it, and Mr. Lepper seemed to misunderstand him. He was merely aaking to know whether six or seven nurses could be spared at one time, and it appeared they could. But in his experience he had found that people on night work should not be running about during the day. Mr. Andrews then brought forward complaints that had been made to him, alleging inattention on the part of the night nurses. He had been told that one nurse left for three hours one sight, and a crying child, after an hour's neglect, had been pacified by a patient. Another patient, "who was in a pretty bad way," bad rapped on the wall for an hour, and received no answer or attention. Still another complained that when she asked for chicken brotii,

the matron promised it, but three (fays passed before she got it. The chairman said the dieting was entirely tUKfor the control of the medical staff.

Mr. Andrew*: But she was ordered this broth by the doctor. The chairman: That's a different thing altogether. Mr. lirown said that the nurse* could not possibly attend to their duties properly at night it they were running about in the day when they should be asleep. Mr. Andrews voiced another complaint that convalescents had only bread and batter for tea, without variation.

Mr. Leppcr said that was the custom ary diet in all the i*ew Zealand hos-

pitals. The chairman repeated that the Board had nothing to do with the diet. He also mentioned that uot a single complaint had been made to him by discharged patients, even when he invited suggestions. The secretary said that a patient from Mr. Andrews' district once made a complaint, and he inquired of the matron concerning it. >ext time he (the secretary) visited the Hospital the patient was angry with him, greeting hiui with remark that he "must have little to do." The man then said he had no complaint to make, and the secretary retorted that in that case any Unpleasantness had been caused by the patient's lying. . Mr. McDonald ridiculed the idea ot patients ordering their own diet. \t hj, sometimes they were ordered to have no food at aIL . Mr. Andrews thought the bread and butter might be varied a little. People didn't get that sort oi fooS in their own homes, and they must get sick 01 it, night after night. The chairman said he had every confidence in the matron and the meoical staff —about the be?t in the Dominion. Mr. G. W. Browne said the complaints made ought to l>e investigated. A din-ing-room should lie provided tor the women patients, or else they should occupy the other dining-room, be tore or after the men. He did not think it wi-e that the matron and head nurse should be away from the institution at ontUTlie secretary assured the Board tfiat the matron seldom left the Hospital, and she never left the town, and uever left the institution without puttiDg a responsible narse in charge. Mr. J. Brown could not see any necessity for paying the head nurse extra vaiary if all the other nurses were competent to take charge. I^l The chairman said that the head nurse recently had full charge for six weeks whilst the matron was on leave. Mr. Brown: But we don t pay h«-r extra or keep her jiM for that. I'J added that the Board wou.d 1-- b,un..t if anything *enou- w«-n- • •' ' Hn-piul With 111- pi.u-ipal nil! a> Th«' chairman will inquire and l-p'-r, at next meeting.