H.—22.

9. NELSON HOSPITAL. Governing body : Nelson Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. . Usual date of meeting : First Wednesday in each month. Secretary : S. Blomfield. Stipendiary medical staff : William J. Mackay, M.D. Dispenser : 1. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Ellen L. Gosling, and 3 registered nurses and 12 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 2 housemaids, 1 wardsmaid, 2 laundresses, 1 porter and gardener. Number of beds available for males, 26 ; for females, 18 ; children's cots, 2 ; isolation and infectious, 18 : total, 64. Average number of patients per diem (including consumptives), 46. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 2-8 In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 47 ; admitted during year, 300 ; discharged during year, 279 ; died during year, 26 ;in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 42. Sex—Male, 116; female, 231: total, 347. Collective days' stay, 16,795; individual average days' stay, 48 ; average daily cost per head, 4s. 4d. ; average daily payment per head, IOJd. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 3s. 6Jd. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance—full charge. £1 Is., often reduced according to circumstances. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 1-9. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Nelson Borough, 216 ; Motueka Borough, 7 ; Richmond Borough, 8 ; Waimea County, 66 ; Takaka County, 11 ; Collingwood County, 16 ; from outside districts, 23 : total, 347. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 224 ; England, 68 ; Scotland, 13 ; Ireland, 19 ; Germany, 1 ; Australia, 9 ; Tasmania, 4 ; France, 3 ; America, 1 ; Canada, 1 ; Sweden, 2 ; Holland, 1 ; South Africa, 1 : total, 347. Number of out-patients treated during year, 120 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 656. Visited on 25th September, 1908. The Hospital was not at all full, there being only thirty-six patients in the main Hospital and eight in the consumptive-annexe. The theatre has been altered and renovated, and the conveniences added should make the work of the nurses in preparing for and assisting at operations easier. During the year Miss Field, who had been Matron for two years, resigned, and Miss Gosling, late Matron of Reefton Hospital, was appointed.

10. NAPIER HOSPITAL. Governing body : Napier Hospital Trustees. Usual date of meeting : Second Monday of each month. Secretary : Thomas Baker. Assistant, 1. Honorary medical staff, H. F. Bernau, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.; J. J. Edgar, M.8.M.5., Glasg.; J. P. D. Leahy, M.8.M.5., Syd.; T. C Moore, M.D., B.S. Stipendiary medical staff : Walter William Moore, M.D. N.Z., F.R.C.S. Eng. ; Ivan Stewart Wilson, M.8., Ch.B. N.Z., L.R.C.P. Lond., M.R.C.S. Eng. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Berry, and 2 registered nurses and 17 probationers. Domestic staff : 2 cooks, 2 housemaids, 3 wardsmaids, 2 laundresses, 1 porter, 1 gardener, 1 engineer and stoker ; I female (telephone), 1 handy-man at £1 per month. Number of beds available for males, 35 ; for females, 31 ; children's cots, 2 ; isolation and infectious, 10 : total, 78. Average number of patients per diem, 45. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 2-2. In-patients: Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 47; admitted during year, 522; discharged during year, 446 ; died during year, 60 ; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 63. Sex—Male, 337 ; female, 232 : total, 569. Collective days' stay, 16,393 ; individual average days' stay, 29 ; average daily cost per head, 7s. 6d. ; average daily payment per head, lid. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 6s. 7d ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 Is. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 5. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Hawke's Bay and surrounding districts. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 321 ; England, 125 ; Ireland, 33 ; Scotland, 31 ; Victoria, 16 ; New South Wales, 13 ; Tasmania, 2 ; Sweden, 5 ; Denmark, 9 ; Germany, 1 ; Russia, 1 ; India, 3 ; Queensland, 2 ; Canada, 3 ; France, 1 ; America, 3. Number of out-patients treated during year, 300 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 1,851. The cost of this institution is relatively high, the principal increase in expenditure being in provisions, drugs, and dressings. Visited several times. The Hospital has passed through a trying time, but is now on a fair way to improvement. The question of economical and efficienl management has been fully gone into by the Board. Many things which had been allowed to lapse into neglect have been put on a better footing.

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