GETTING OUT OF HAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 126, 13 March 1950, Page 2

GETTING OUT OF HAND

LOCAL BODY CONFERENCES HOSPITAL BOARD DISCUSSION “These matters are getting completely ancl utterly out of hand,” said Mr L. A. Charles when referring to annual conferences of hospital officers, at the meeting of the Hospital Board this, morning.

There was the hospital hoards’ conference which was held bi-ennially and annual conferences of medical superintendents, hospital officers, engineers, matrons, registered nurses, laundry managers, dietitians, radiologists, radiographers, dispensers and bacteriologists, said Mr Charles. The Hospital Boards’ Association conference, which was the chief one, was held only once every two years. The hospital i matrons and registered nurses’ conference this year would require 10 days’ absence of some delegates against two days required by delegates to the Hospital Boards’ Association conference last year. A certain amount of good came out of conferences, but he thought that the papers which were read at them could bo circulated. If hospital boards meet only bi-ennially, it was not necessary for other conferences to be held yearly. The time factor was important, when there was a shorta'ge of staffs who were also on full pay while attending the conferences.

Mr Charles moved, that the Hospital Boards’ Association be asked to investigdte the question of the conferences with a view to minimising the time devoted to them, eliminating some of them, ! making • them bi-ennial and either arranging the venue at a central place or alternating them between the islands. Mr Charles added that hospital boards were not the only local bodies to suffer in this respect. “I do hot altogether agree with the motion,” sajd Mr E. T. Grigg. “I think the Hospital Boards’ Association is the weakest of all the bodies, and to suggest that other conferences meet every two years is going too far. We are in 1950 not 1850. It* is necessary for these experts to meet and keep in touch with each other.” The chairman (Mr C. A. Campion) said there had been a tendency for minor conferences to be overdone and little consideration had been given to the amount of time taken up. Possibly some of the conferences could be curtailed considerably and possibly some could be held bi-ennially. The motion was seconded by Mr H. E. Jessep and was carried.