25

f1.—22

Besides this, a great deal of building has been done. The new Nurses' Home was opened on 17th August. The new chronic ward, for which £1,000 was specially given by Mr. J. N. Williams, was also formally opened on the same date. As the accommodation of the Hospital is very severely taxtd, Mr. Williams has allowed the ward to be used for acute cases until the proposed extensions of the Hospital are carried out. Mr. Shrimpton, now Chairman of the Hospital, has generously given £1,000 towards a children's ward, of which the plans have been approved. The road to the Hospital and the site is being laid out and generally much improved. Miss Edwards resigned her position as Matron in February, and Miss Berry, late Sub-matron at the Wellington Hospital, was appointed, and has been doing good work in generally improving the state of the wards and the training of the nurses. 11. WESTLAND HOSPITAL. Governing body : Westland Hospital Trustees. Usual date of meeting : First Wednesday each month. Secretary : J. H. Wilson (non-resident). Stipendiary medical staff : Ebenezer Teichelmann, F.R.C.S. Eng. (non-resident). Nursing staff : Matron, Miss M. R. Little, and 1 registered nurse and 5 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 1 housemaid, 1 porter and wardsman, 1 laundress, 1 gardener, 1 assistant laundryman. Number of beds available for males, 36 ; for females, 12 ; children's cots, nil; isolation and infectious, 2 : total, 50. Average number of patients per diem, 39. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 5-5. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 39 ; admitted during year, 175 ; discharged during year, 155 ; died during year, 28 ; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 31. Sex—Male, 151; female, 63: total, 214. Collective days' stay, 14,110; individual average days' stay, 66; average daily cost per head, 3s. 10|d. ; average daily payment per head, lid. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 2s. ll|d. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 10s. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 6-31. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : County of Westland, 144 ; Hokitika, 65 ; Ross, 1 ; Kumara, 1 ; Wanganui, 1 ; Auckland, 1 ; Westport, 1 : total, 214. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 74 ; Australian, 13 ; English, 39 ; Scotch, 33 ; Irish, 38 ; Welsh, 2 ; American, 1 ; South African, 1 ; Norwegian, 1 ; German, 3 ; Danish, 1 ; Swedish, 3 ; Swiss, 1 ; Chinese, 4 ; Maori, 1 : total, 214. Number of out-patients treated during year, 215 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 612. Visited on 29th September, 1908, by Miss Maclean, and on 14th March, 1909, by myself. Great improvements have taken place in the Hospital since the building of the new wing, which allowed of a better division of acute cases of illness from the chronic patients and the old-age pensioners. The old men were also moved from the building partly occupied by the nurses, which was to be put in order for the latter, and should be quite a comfortable Nurses' Home. On the completion of the second new ward and the removal of some of the very old part, the Hospital should present a very good appearance. The wards face towards the sea, and get the benefit of plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Miss Sims resigned her position as Matron on account of her marriage, after having done very excellent work in rearranging and organizing the Hospital, and making many improvements with the material at her command. Miss Little, trained in Christchurch Hospital, has taken her place. I pointed out to the Trustees, who are most anxious to work for the good of the Hospital, that excessive prices were being paid for provisions and also for drugs and dressings.

12. THAMES HOSPITAL. Governing body : Thames Hospital Trustees. Usual date of meeting : Monthly, first Monday, at 7.30 p.m. Secretary : John Edward Banks. Stipendiary medical staff : Dr. W. B. Walshe, M.8., B.Ch. Melb. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss M. Stewart, and 4 registered nurses and 7 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 1 housemaid, 1 laundress, 1 porter, 1 gardener. Number of beds available for males, 40 ; for females, 18 ; isolation and infectious, 6 : total, 64. Average number of patients per diem, 38. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 3-1. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 37 ; admited during year, 475; discharged during year, 452 ; died during year, 31 ; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 29. Sex—Male, 345 ; female, 167 : total, 512. Collective days' stay, 13,807 ; individual average days' stay, 27 ; average daily cost per head, 3s. 6-|d. ; average daily payment per head, Is. 2|d. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 2s. 3fd. Weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 Is., or in accordance with means ; children under sixteen years, 14s. per week. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 7-53. Localities, broadly, from which patients came ; Thames Hospital district, 496 ; Waikato 12 ■ Waihi, 2 ; Auckland, 2 ; Reefton, 1. 4—H. 22.