Hospital Enquiry.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 18, 8 July 1899, Page 3

Hospital Enquiry.

A special meeting of the Board was held at the Hospital on Thursday ; present — Messrs, Sinclair (chair), and Atwill, Hardie, Henderson, Petit, Douglas and Walker. ' Dr Barclay was also present. An apology was received from Mr SJudholrae. i - The Board was called together to' enquire into certain complaints made by a patient. J. Sole, the patient, stated that the nurse had spoken crossly when asked to- remove the slipper, sa-ying she was at her dianer. This was about 1.30. Calvert was also using the slipper, and she didn't speak cross to him. On occasions when he wanted a 1 foot-warmer he had to wait from half-an-hour to two hours till the warder came in. At other times when he wanted a drink of cold water he had to wait a long time for it. There was always milk and" water on the table and he got tea regularly in the forenoon. If he asked NurUe Boyd to smooth the wrinkles in the bed, sometimes she would do so . and sometimes she would be -flery cross

and call him a nuisance. On Wednes- ! day he used the stool three times, the | latest being at three o'clock. It was not removed that day rind he used it again on the next day, the day before Nurse Boyd went away. To Mr Petit : Did not ask for it to be removed till Saturday when he asked the warder. Witness, continuing, said he left the hospital on Thursday 2oth June. To Mr Douglas : Was not sure as to the length of tune he was kept waiting for a hot water bag. He had asked sometimes in the morning and did not get it till the afternoon. Would not have mentioned the matter to the matron or doctor if they came into the ward. Expected the nurse to bring it. Very seldom touched the milk and water provided. Told the nurse he could not drink milk and water. The mattress of th« bed was sometimes not turned for a fortnight, although the sheets were renewed. He was not able to get out of bed. Saw the placard stating that patients should state their complaints to the visiting, committee, but did not mention it to them because he did not know how he would be treated afterwards. He happened to be in Mr Sinclair's shop and told him be was glad to get out of the hospital. Said he was gting to Dr Barclay to tell him what he thought of Nurse Boyd. Mr Sinclair did not tell him to lay a complaint, witness first stated it to him. To Mr Walker : Went to Mr Sinclair to lay the complaint. Complained of a bed, and he was put in another one. Thought it would be best to lay the complaint when he came out. To Mr Sinclair : When he went into the shop, was told that if he had complained to the visiting Committee, the matter would have been remedied. His only objeot wai to let the Boaifd know how be was treated. To Mr Douglas : Did not tell any* one in Waimata that he did not go into Mr Sinclair to lay a complaint. George Calvert said he was in the Hospital when Sole was in. Bemembered him ringing for the slipper to be removed. Nurse Boyd came in and said, " Jack, you know I was ' at my, dinner." She was not at all cioss. _ To Mr Atwill : No one had interviewed him. To Mr Walker: Witness was well treated while he was in the hospital To Nurse Boyd : Sole was well treated to the best of his knowledge. , To Mr Sinclair : On Saturday night,when you saw me, I said we were well ' treated. To Mr Douglas : Was in the hbspital three weeks ; was not fax from Sole in the Ward. To Mr Sinclair: Did not tell Mr Sinclair that the nurse always snapped at them. i A little squabble here took place between the witness and Sdle, the latter saying that he brought Calvert to prove his statements, and he was going back on his word. To Mr Petit : Was not in the ward at the time of the stool episode. W. Hawk said he was a patient in the hospital, in the same ward- with Sole. Eemembered .Sole ringing -for the slipper to be removed. Nurse Boyd was at her dinner at the time. She came in and said: "You might have waited a little longer, Jack, you knew I was having my dinner." She did not speak crossly, just in he* usual sharp way of speaking. To complainant : Did not say he would not be treated in that manner. 1 (Complainant interjected " Yes you did now, Hawk,") but members , interfered.. To members : Always made a' practice of lifting the window when a stool or slipper was used. ' ' To Nurse Boyd : Your treatment of Sole was always very kind. Had several times assisted in lifting Sole's mattress, and arranging it. She was never raieiviLto Sole. Always went round last thing at night and" asked patients if they were comfortable, and if she could bring them 1 anything. Never left a slipper or commode in the ward to witness' knowledge. Was % in the ward all the time Sole was in. Never remembered hearing her speak "crossly to- patients,' except on the occasion mentioned. To Mr Douglas : 'W& 9 four beds from ;.coJtoj!lain&ni,, who had. made a. practice.

of complaining to -witness, who said lie should complain to the nurse. Never knew of longf delays 1 in bringing anything. Nurse Boyd was very quick. There waa always milk and water at the bedside. To Mr Atwill t Never heatd the matron speaking tb Nurse Boyd about speaking sharply. Continuing : Knew nothing about the stool, except that Sole told him it was not removed^ Told him he should tell the nurses j other patients did. The nurses made a round of the wards daily. Frank Harding, warder, remembered removing a stool at the request of the patient, who said it had been there two or three days. Always did' so if patients asked him. Was in. the male ward every day. Niirse Boyd stated she did not remember speaking sharply to the patient. The nurses' dinner hour was at one o'clock, unless am-thing unusual occured. Had no recollection of the day mentioned. Had never neglected to make Sole's bed ; had on several occasions got the assistance of patients to draw up his mattress. Mrs .Chapman went round mid saw that these things were done. This patient's mattress could not be turned, as he could not get out of bed. Was not allowed to loosen bandages without the doctor's orders. He made no complaint about the syringing of his wound. The matron wa3 always pres- v ent. Made no difference in her behaviour to patients when visitors were present. The patient never, so far as witness v?as aware, wanted for anything. Gave him water wb'enhe asked for it. The cup of tea at 6.30 and at 2 o'clock were privileges allowed Sole. It was not the usual thing. On recording the temperatures in the morning, removed all stools . v - In reply to questions : On one occ&van. was asked, for a- hot watei; tin..

Had other duties to attend to, and' took it when she had finished. Witness handed in a letter from a patient in the ward, at the time stating that complainant was always well treated. Mr Hardie said he thought they had! gone far enough into this complaint, but it was decided to hear John Mollny, who said he' was a patient at the sams time as^Sole. Nurse Boyd treated tfre latter well, and 1 did all that was possible for her. E> himself waB always very well treated. Was in the next bed to Sole. Mr Hardie again' said' that there was nothing more to come out. The patient got plenty of opportunities for making his complaint, and did not do so. He thought the complaint was ,hot sustained. Mr Douglas endorsed this. The charges had been fully considered and . the complainant's witnesses disproved whatt he had brought them in to prove. The only, ground of charge was the • neglect of removing the commode, and that fell to the ground. ,The patient' was largely to blame for not speaking, and had endangered not only himself but all the patients in the ward. ' The patient deserved censure. It was a disgrace to bring the charge and he ou?ht to be ashamed of himself. ~Mr Petit entirely agreed" with thisand cited cases within his own experience to show that patients, even in the most serious cases, would draw attention to tire removal of the comtnodes. On the motion of Mr Douglas, seconded by Mr Eetit "It was decided! that Sole entirely failed to prove hischarges, and' Nurse Boyd was completely exonerated from all blame. Mr Walker said the patient -wantthrough a very dangerous operation, and was nursed back to convalesenc©' and this was his gratitude. ■B& thought all complaints should covase through the matran. or' doctor* t j- ;

Large withdrawals have |Bfl made from, the Pretoria SavSfl A great meeting of merchlHH held at Johannesburg, passefHH unanimous resolution in fawßH of Sir A. Milner's proposals, fll was decided to ask PresijHH Kruger, with a view to stop SI exodus, to guarantee vesideMß that the forts, in the event of wBI will not attack the town, andtlßl the provisions of the Genoa C<jK| vention will be observed. T|B| chairman announced that tMJi various foreign consuls recolHl mended individuals to prepJßl inventories off their belongin«| with the view to proving loss'iSl the event of looting. Jl A number of British warshipM have arrived in the vicinity,™ Delagoa Bay. »| The Standard states that Preaßl dent Kruger was obstinate to MM Fischer, the delegate from thiH Orange Free State, who was seek™ ing to release or frustrate the prJR dicament into which the ha^tjß resolve to support President KriiS ger has landed it ; and that MM Steyne realises that the State, ill disapproving of Boer corruption is unwilling to fight for tin Transvaal. fl Mr Chamberlain, writing to afl ex-Minister, and a prominenlH member of the French Chamber^ says that the Boers do not demaiuM independence, but the right f|jB oppress and exploit the Uitland|l Nearly 600 purely volunteer* forces, Sydney, have offered theiiw services for the Transvaal. Th|| commandant considers the »posi- j tion very critical, and favors th.ew despatch of an Australian eontm^j An Imperial officer just froml the Cape states that; British, troops! from the Indian frontier are ar-J riving there .by every steamer,|| and an immense quantity of armyll supplies and forage is being accivl mulated. | The Pall Mall Gazette stated! that the Marquis of Lansdowne isl ready to despatch from 40,000 to,| 500,00 troops to South Afcioa. | Great Britain is nevertheless anx*4 ious to avoid anything suggesting a menace. ' i ' It is affirmed from Pretoria that i President Kruger has accepted,*! Messrs Hofmeyer arid Fischer's j recommendations for a modifica- \ tion of his proposals with refer- v ence to the concessions to Uit* : landers. President, Steyne, in proroguing the Oraiige Free State Volk^. sraad, said his efforts towards a pacific settlement qf\the Trajib- ! vaal difficulty had failed, but^lie ,did not despair. He trusted' the ] Transvaal would act pacifically, and so not be charged with the war. The- Volksraad authorised him to proceed to Pretoria. ' The Council of the, Uitlanders' League has issued a manifesto en-< dqrsing Sir A f Milner's p.rop'o^als, urging jthe establishment and safeguarding the independence of the , Transvaal high. Court, that the 'Volksraad shall not be allowed to interfere with a permarient settlement between. England and the Transvaal, '\, also ' the } ' au^matic periodical distribution of seats and fmunicipal and, ' educational reform.