27

f1.—22

Domestic staff : 1 cook, 3 housemaids, 2 wardsmaids, 2 laundresses, 1 porter, 1 gardener, 1 engineer and stoker, 1 carpenter, 1 kitchenmaid. Number of beds available for males, 43 ; for females, 32 ; children's cots, 8 ; isolation and infectious, 4 : total, 87. Average number of patients per diem, 36. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 2-2. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 41 ; admitted during, year, 441 ; discharged during year, 400 ; died during year, 44 ;in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 38. Sex—Male, 300 ; female, 182 : total, 482. Collective days' stay, 13,071 ; individual average days' stay, 27 ; average daily cost per head, 7s. 3d. ; average daily payment per head, 7d. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 6s. Bd. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 15s. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 4-6. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Geraldine County and Borough and Temuka Borough, 59; Levels County, 118; Waimate County and Borough, 60; Mackenzie County, 29; Timaru Borough, 173 ; shipping, 3 ; others, 40. Number of out-patients treated during year, 203 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 632. Visited in June and December, 1908. There were forty patients in Hospital on the first visit, thirty-seven on the second. The various improvements since my last report are the children's ward and the operating-room and X-ray room. The theatre is rather a disappointing structure. The children's ward is bright and sunny, and with ample verandah-accommodation, of which full use is made. The wards are kept in good order. They have lately been cleansed and repainted, which was badly needed. Comment was made last year on the large amount expended in provisions. This year that expenditure has been reduced by some £400, but even yet comparisons with hospitals of similar size show that it is still too high. Several economies could be effected in the Hospital. Dressings, however, are cheaply bought, and are of excellent quality. Compared with hospitals of a similar size, this institution appears overstaffed as regards domestics. The amount of patients' fees recovered is small.

15. NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL. Governing body : Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Usual date of meeting : Third Monday in each month. Secretary : C M. Lepper. Stipendiary medical staff :H. B. Leatham, M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Edin.; E. A. Walker, M.D. Glasg., M.S. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Elizabeth Browne, and 4 registered nurses and 13 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 2 housemaids, 1 wardsmaid, 2 wardsmen, 1 laundress, 1 gardener. Number of beds available for males, 28 ; for females, 19 ; children's cots, 3 ; mental, 1 ; annexe, 10 ; isolation and infectious, 10 ; cots, 2 : total, 73. Average number of patients per diem, 35. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 1-9. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 34 ; admitted during year, 383 ; discharged during year, 355 ; died during year, 22 ; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 40 : Sex—Male, 249 ; female, 168 : total, 417. Collective days' stay, 12,834 ; individual average days' stay, 31 ; average daily cost per head, 6s. lOd. ; average daily payment per head, 2s. 2d. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 4s. Bd. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £2 2s. at present. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 4-24. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Taranaki County, 280 ; Fitzroy Town Board, 14 ; Egmont County, 22 ; Clifton County, 23 ; Inglewood Borough, 17 ; Waitara Borough, 40 ; other districts, 21 : total, 417. Nationalities of patients : Colonial, 273 ; English, 72 ; Irish, 30 ; Scotch, 11 ; Tasmanian, 6 ; Indian, 1 ; German, 3 ; Swedish, 1 ; Maori, 12; Danish, 4 ; Corsican, 1 ; Canadian 1; Austrian, 1; Shetland Island, 1 : total, 417. Visited in July and December, 1908. No great changes have taken place at this Hospital, the desire of the Board and also of the medical staff being to avoid spending money on patching up an old building which should before many years be replaced by a more modern structure. In the meantime good work is done there, and excellent results obtained. The Nurses' Home has been enlarged, and is most comfortable. There are separate sitting-rooms for the senior and junior staff, which arrangement tends to preserve a proper discipline. It would be well if such were provided at all Nurses' Homes. Special accommodation has been provided for delirium-tremens cases. The consumptive-annexe was'closed at the time of my last visit. There were three scarlet-fever cases in, and altogether fifty-four patients. The Hospital is always to be found in good order, and the staff working well. Mr. Lepper is an indefatigable Secretary, and especial attention might be called to the maintenance fees collected during the year—£l,3B9.