HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9094, 21 May 1908, Page 5

HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF.

NEW ARRANGEMENT AGREED TO. DRS. COWIE AND COOK TO BE ON ACTIVE STAFF. A sub-committee appointed by the Masterton Hospital Trustees at last month's meeting to report on the question of reconstructing the activemedical staff reported to yesterday's meeting as follows: —"Your committee has to re pox t having held a meeting in conjunction with Drs. A. Hosking, W. G. Ross, i'. R. Cook and J. A. Cowie, at which the following recommendations were arrived at: —'Tint subject to details being satisfactorily arranged be f ween the medical men and to the appointment of Dr. A. Hosking superintendent, Drs. Cook and Cowie be appointed on the active medical stall' without remuneration until 31st March next, the end of the current financial year, each cf the four doctors to attend their own patients; the casual 3 who have no selected medical attendant to be attended by the medical superintendant, who is to be responsible to the Trustees for management.' " Dr. A. Hosking, who was present, stated that the present active medical staff (he and Dr. Ross) had no objection to Drs. Cowie and Cook corning in on the terms stated in the foregoing report, but amon£ themselves the dJc'.ors had not been able to agree to the appointment of a sperintendent, and they wished the Trustees to do this.

The Chairman (Mr J. B. Keith) said that personally he was not enamoured of 'the scheme, but it seemed one way to minimise the present difficulty, and the arrangement was only to hold until the end of the financial year. Mr W. Fisher said he would like to have added to the recommendations, before adoption, the words, "And that the present arrangements absolutely cease on the 31st March next." This, he thought, would pave the way for the Trustees to act in an independent direction if they so desired.

The Chairman suggested dealing with this separately. Mr F. W. H. Kummer said such conditions as those embodied in tne agreement could not be expected to obtain for long—two doctors to be paid and the others not. He could see or.ly added expense ahead of the new scheme, which was a stepping stone to increased expenditure for the ratepayers. The recommendations were eventually adopted unanimously, Dr. Hosking having stated that he thought all details could be satisfactorily arranged. Dr. A. Hosking was, by a separate resolution, appointed Hospital Superintendent.

Mr Fisher then gave no',ice to move at next meeting, that the arrangements with the medical staff absolutely cease on the 31st March next. Mr J. J. Mead thought it would be advisable for the Trustees to carry a resolution that only four doctors com* pose the medical staff of the Hospital, in the event of further arrivals of medical men in the town, but this idea was not generally favoured.