NEW NURSES' HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1916, Page 9

NEW NURSES' HOME.

:OSPITAL BOARD'S DECISION. COMPETITIVE DESIGNS DESIREB TOR, According to a decision ai-rived at by the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday, steps »re to he taken to erect a new building for the accommodation of all the nurses engaged it the Nov/ Plymouth Hospital. 'I he decision was come to subsequent to the reading of a letter received from the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. 1. 11. A. Valmtine), v;ho referred to the Board's proposal regarding the old hospital buildings, and went, on to state that it would bo extremely inadvisable to allow nurses to be housed under the same roof as patients suffering from infectious diseases. It was possible, howeer, tliaL the buildings might be used for the double purpose of providing accommodation for the nurses and t'o» maternity cases. Dr. Valintine said he did not consider that the expenditure of altering the buildings so that they might be suitable for a temporary nurses' home would be advisable when the question of an up-to-date nurses' home in connection with the hospital already erected was only a matter of time. Hie hispeetor-ljeneral recommended the Board to lake the necessary steps to provide mi up-to-date nurses' home to accommodate at least 50 nurses. He considered the old hospital would, with a little renovation, be made very suitable as an infectious diseases hospital. The chairman (Mr. F. C. Bellringer) said Dr. Valentine's letter was tantamount to a direction to the Board to proceed svith the construction of a nicsc?' home. It would be necessary, said Mr. Bellringer, to provide accommodation for at least 75 nurses. The expenditure involved would be in the vicinity of £IO,OOO. The Board had already £SOOO in hand for the purpose, a-.ul he had no donbt the Department would give financial assistance. The question of finance, however, peed r.ot be ?onsidci;ed for some time to come. On the motion of Mr. A. H. Ilalcor.ibe, it was decided to call for competitive designs for a two-storeyed building, to be constructed in brick or concrete, with .leecmmodation for 75 nurses and provis inn for future addition:.