THE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 200, 2 December 1910, Page 5

THE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. By Telegraph.—Prose Association. Dunedin, Last Night. The chairman of the Hospital and. Charitable Aid Board has received from the department at Wellington the report of Miss MacLcan, assistant inspector, on- her recent investigation of condition existing at the Dunedin Hospital, and also the recommendations of the Department thereon. In the letter forwarded with the report Dr. Valintine says it must be admitted that there is room for improvement with regard to the nurses' dietary and the arrangement* therefore. Indeed, these facts have been recognised by the medical superintendent and other responsible officers, and . the recommendations of the dietary committee had been forwarded to the Board on the day the first letter of criticism appeared in the Daily Times. Dr. Valintine added as regards the other charges, though here and there some alterations in existing arrangements are undoubtedly necessary, the charges were in the main grossly exaggerated. The action of the junjor medical officer in admitting the reporter to one of the wards without reference to the senior officer on duty is held by Dr. Valintine to be a grave breach of discipline, and he suggests that a severe reprimand be administered. Unless the Board has additional reasons for thinking that he should be more severely dealt with, the Inspector-General says the doctor concerned should be given to understandthat his engagement expiring in three months' time will not be renewed. Dr. Valintine approves of the suspension 01 the nurse who supplied the information to the reporter, and recommends that her services be dispensed with. Miss Mac Lean's report states, with reference to allegations as to the number of nurses off duty through illness, that six out of 67 were off. She thinks the nurses receive every kindness and consideration, and that the amount of sickness has been exceedingly small. She considers the statement that insufficient time is allowed for meals has no foundation in fact. She admits there hap been ground for complaint with regard to the cooking of food and its serving. The statement that nurses had been refused leave to visit dying relations is, she says, entirely false. Sunday cleaning has been carried on against the matron's desire, and some of the physical work done by the nurses, has been forbidden by the matron. The period granted ifor holidays gave cause for dissatisfaction. Miss Mac Lean made recommendations for improving cooking and for varying the diet scale; that late leave for nurses be slightly extended; that annual holidays be increased' to three weeks, that cleaning in wards be done only once a day by ward maids, or nurses; that washing painted walls be done by men, and not by nurses. A number, of other recommendations are made for improving conditions of tlse nurses. In another letter Dr. Valintine says that as regards the honorary staff the four-monthly change of-duty in the vyards should be discontinued. Such change of dutf should not take place more frequently than once a year.