REPLY TO CHARGES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 201, 11 June 1929, Page 7

REPLY TO CHARGES.

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL CONDITIONS. (Special to the “Guardian.”} AUCKLAND, June 10. “It is absurd on the face of it; so much so that it is hardly necessary for me to make a reply,” said Mr William Wallace (chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board) when a complaint about the conditions under which the nurses worked was referred to him. The burden of the charges was that the nurses worked under conditions of “absolute slavery,” that many probationers broke down in health in the first year owing! to .the exteessive amount of charing work they had to do, that they often worked with blistered feet and hands, and that at present, when numbers were suffering with influenza, the remainder were being worn out with extra duly. The position, according to Mr Wallace, is that 34 out of a total nursing staff of 255, are on the sick-list. Naturally. there was some disorganisation", as in every place of business employing a large staff during an epidemic, but the matron had full authority to engage what extra assistance she required, and, therefore, extra duty was reduced to a minimum. As to the statement that probationers had) to slave as charwomen as well as perform nursing duty, Mr Wallace said that it should be known that in nearly every ward a charwoman, or ward maid, was employed, and, further, it was a rule of the hospital that convalescent patients should assist with washing the dishes. Thus nurses were greatly aided and relieved of much of the work described as slavery, and if they had blistered hands they would on no account be allowed to go on duty, because they would be a danger to patients as well as "being exposed to infection themselves.. ■“lt is a mass of absurdities and wild exaggerations,” he added, “and Ought not to be regarded at all seriously.” *