HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 145, 19 June 1894, Page 3

HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

TROUBLE AHEAD.

Bomb time ago the Hospital and Charitable 4id Board appointed a Committee to in" qnire and report upon both Hospital management and the office affairs. Apparently this Committee in gaining information has acted in a manner displeasing to somo persons, for a.b the meeting of the Boanl yesterday the following letter was read from the Honorary Medical Statt :— »'At a meeting of the House Committee held on May 30th, a member of the Board mado statements which he said were founded on information elicited at an inquiry which he had been holding ab the Hospital in conjunction with two other members of the Board. The Honorary Medical Staff have since found that this Committee have examined subordinate officials (probationary nurßes and porters) without any responsible Hospital ofheer being present, and respectfully ask whether euch a method of conducting the inquiry was intended by the Board in appointing the Committee. The Honorary Medical Staff desires to poinb out that such a method of inquiry ia undesirable for the following reasons: —(1) It engenders a mutual distrust amongst the members of the nursing and working staff, which adds to tbe difficulty 01 maintaining the diaciplino of the Hospital. (I) Ab least one important statemenb publicly made by one of the members of the Committee, and which he stated waa founded on information given during tho above inquiry, is absolutely incorrect. The Honorary Medical Staff recognises the advantages to be derived from inquiries held by committees of members of the Board, and a desire to aid the Board in their efforts to increase the efficioncy of the Hospital is the cause of this communication." The Chairman, Mr Bollard, said the Committee had not yet reported, bub if things had been done as was stated in the letter just) read he muab say thab he considered it was nob English to examine persons in the absence of the heada of departmenb who were interested. Mr Bruce said that no specific charge was laid against the Committee, but when it was ho would bo quite ready to meet it. Mr Garratb eaid the shob was aimed at himself, and when tho report was brought up they would show that they had done good work. Mr Lennox askod whether these examinations bad been made in the absence of heads of departments. Mr Bruce said such questions should be askod when tho report was broughb forward. Mr Lennox said he did nob like questions being shelved. He would like to know whether subordinates had been questioned in tho absence of heads of departments. Mr Gamut : They were. The Chairman : Then, if that were done, the report will nob be worth the paper it is written on when it comes up. Mr Lennox: Thab is my opinion, and I am sorry thab Buch a practice should have been adopted. <■ Mr Ambary : I agree with Mr Lennox. I think it un-English and ungentlemanly for members to continually attack members of bhe Hon. Medical Staff-when they are not present. Mr Oarratt said it would bo no use to bring up the reporb in face of tho Chairman's remark. Mr Lennox said thab the reporb would be judged upon its merits. Mr Am bury moved, " That the reporb of the Committee he brought up this day three weeks." The motion was agreed to.