HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1918, Page 6

HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

ESTIMATES FOR THE NEW YEAR. DISCUSSION ON MAINTENANCE CHARGE. SUGGESTED INCREASE, At Wednesday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board the following estimates of receipts and expenditure for the; year ending March 31, 1818, were approved:— RECEIPTS. ' £ . Hospital fees 4500 Pollutions 200 I!' nts 5.1 Farm 400 Land agents' fec3 (10 Pensions and fees 1370 Miscellaneous 85 I oeal bodiea levy at 1/8 in the £IOO SGIB Government subsidy on s.'Mne at Ifis 3d .... 45G5 refund from building account ICO2 £18,450 EXPENDITURE. £ Painting Rangiatea Home 350 Painting Nurses' Home .. 100 Hospital maintenance ... 12,700 Rangiatea Home maintenance 1000 Charitable Aid maintenance 400 Farm 800 Public health "50 District nurses 350 Administration 1000 General 500 £18,450 The_chairman. in jnoving that the rate of Is (id be levied on the £IOO capital Vii.ine of the ratepayers of the contributing bodies, said it might appear strange that so large an amount was required for the purposes of the hospital. K was the same rate that was struck lat't year, and when the. rate was struck it was hoped it would produce an amount whirl- would be available for a preparatory fund for a new nurses' home. When the new Hoard took up its duties there, was a balance of £2OOO in hand, but the liabilities taken over more than accounted for that sum. The number of patients being accommodated at the hospital was continually inereasine, and the Boord was actually losing on their inaintensme. Nothing less than a rate of Is (id would be sufficient to carry tho Bc.ird through the year. The motion was seconded by Mr. McNeill.

Mr .C. Andrews said if the fess paid by patients were insufficient to cover the cost of their maintenance, the Board should consider the matter of increasing the charge made. Tn reply to a question the secretary stated that the average cost for maintenance last year was 7a per day per patient. The hospital charge was 7s per day, reducible to 5s if paid within the month. No reduction was made to nat'ents from other hospital districts. Mr. McNeill said he had become tired of the complaint in his district that tlio hospital was run as a "free-and-easy home." and that patients could pay or not, just as they.liked. He had told the people when he came on to the Board thit he did not propose to revolutionise tli« Board's methods, but when it waa reported that there was something like £10,(100 owing to the Board in hospital fees he thought something should be dene to remedy matters. The secretary explained that of that amount a good deal would be unrecoverable as the arrears extended back as far as 1911 and many of those concerned were dead. ' Mr. McNeill suggested that in such cases the amount should he written off. Mr Young said in looking through the list of defaulters prepared by the secretary he thought that 90 per cent, of those who belonged to his district could well afford to pay their fees. He thought, however, that the fees should be raised sufficiently to cover the coat of maintenance The chairman said he believed the matter of raising the fees was in the mind? of a good many members of the Board. The Board could not say who should go to the hospital and who should not. The svgneption of raising the charges would Imve to be very carefully and fully considered before any decision was made. It was a fact that at present the institution was being run cheaper than any other hospital in the Dominion. The medical staff practically gave their services free. He believed that if the fee was raised, say to 10s, it would have tli.? effect of increasing the work at the hospital as the place would be crowded by people for whom it was never intended It must be remembered the hospital was intended for people who were unable t} pay high fees for medical and surgical attention. (Hear, hear). There wa9 no law to prevent people of means making use of the hospital, yet he was quite sure people who could afford to pay for treatment in private hospitals were making use of the public institution. because they could get skilled attention at a cheap fee. There was another aspeft of the question which would have to be considered, and that was the cas? of men whose children—perhaps several in a family—had to go into a hospital on account of some infectious disease. The patients might be tolerably well in a few days, but they had lo remain in the institution for the whole period of isolation prescribed and if fees were increased it would come very hard in such cases, which were by no means rare. He was of opinion that for such contingencies there should be some sort of sliding scale of charges Bu<h as was in operation at Nelson. It a higher charge was made there would have to, be some differentiation. Mr. Sykes pointed out that if the fees were raised, and people who could afford private treatment sought treatment at the hospital, the medical men would probably soon require increased enumeration. Mr. Young sa'id he thought the New ' 'Plymouth Hospital was well known all over New Zealand as one of the best institutions in the country. He thought whatever fee was charged they would sti'l have full wards. Mr. Halcombe said he believed the Board could not write off the, accounts without accurate evidence as to the impossibility of collecting them. He was of opinion that the fees should not bo increased. He said it was the medical irfoi), who were giving their time and services, who were doing the real charitable W'irk He thought the best plan would be to gather information from other hospital boards and then call a special meeting of the Board to consider the whole question of fees and charges.

M>. C. Andrews said hi 3 opinion was that such people always sougiit cut tie

♦— ■■ I . j I T ■ -i plaof! where they couid get ihe cheapest service. He thought at least the fee shou.'d be made to cover the cost of maintenance. Mi. McNeill said that in other places wlior? he had had experience on hospital hoards they nad a scheme .of selling gU'iiea tickets, and each purchaser was entitled to visit the hospital at any time and in that way a very considerable sum had been raised for the hosp!tal. TK motion for striking the rate was carried, and it was also decided that the secretary should write to other boards to gather what information lie could as ta tl.e effect of raising or reducing fees anil, when suitable, call a special meeting of the board to consider the whole question.