NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1921, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

PROBLEM OF ADAHNISTRATION, PROPOSAL TO APPOINT GENERAL MANAGER. A report received at yesterday’s meeting of° the Taranaki Hospital Board proposed that in view of the growth of the New Plymouth Hospital, members should consider the question of appointing a general manager in order to deal more effectively with administration work. The recommendation came from the finance committee, on behalf of whom the following report concerning the board's present position was tabled by Mr. E. R. Gilmour: During the past few years the board's business, especially the hospital, has been in the transition stage: that is, it has been gradually growing from a medium sized institution, when the management could be carried out by the matron in charge, to its present size. During fhis growth make-shifts have been in force, on the contention that more up-to-date methods were not warranted. There is no doubt that this method has been not only unsatisfactory but costly, and has been the means of offering opportunity for want of good management and leakage. At the present time, with the nurses new home and the installation of steam, it is opening up more avenues of expensive running and leakages if the present system of management is carried out. The board has recognised, to a small extent, that this position exists by the appointment of a housekeeper, but your house committee is of the opinion that this appointment, whilst a step in the right direction, is only the commencement of what ought to be.

With this end in view they are quite convinced that the time has now arrived when uhe entire management of the wlyole of the board’s business should be rc-organised. After very careful consideration they now advise the board to appoint, a general manager whose duties would be to keep very close supervision over the general management of all the board’s departments with a view to more efficient service, a bettei* and more systematic management, the cutting down of expenditure, the stoppage of leakages and waste, a better system of purchasing of supplies, and the inauguration of economy in general. To this end he would have the authority of the board as its executive officer and would be responsible to them only. Whilst carrying out the policy of the board in general, the many details of management, which a* the present time is left in the hands of the several officers, would be concentrated and centralised in one officer. By this appointment it is calculated that very considerable savings would be made, less danger of friction between the other members of the staff, greater efficiency, and the work of the house committee in particular, and the board in general, considerably lightened dwing to the existing financial stringency. It is the wish of the board to lighten the burden of the ratepayers, a-nd with this end in view your finance committee, after careful consideration of the question, are quite satisfied that this proposal is much the better way to further the''object in view. The acting chairman (Mr. S. Vickers) said the report opined up a very big question, but one which would have to be faced. He was firmly convinced that they were not running the hospital on the most economic lines, and there was ample scope for the purchase of supplies, the distribution of them, and other items connected with the hospital. Though it was said that the cost of living and the price of labor was coming down, it seemed with the board to be always mounting, and as a representative of the ratepayers in a country district he viewed with alarm the possibility of an increase of the hospital rate next year. , n , On the motion of Mr. J. Sutherland it was decided that a special meeting of the board be called by u?ie chairman to discuss the question of management.