AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 200, 22 August 1904, Page 5

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

9< INTERVIEW WITH DR. J. H. NEIL. CRITICTSM OF THE MANAGEMENT. The recent removal from the honorary medical staff connected with the Auckland Hospital of Dr. J. Hardy Neil has crested a great deal of public interest, owing to the allegations made by the doctor regarding surgical eases. Dr. Neil will not allow the matter to rest with his dismissal, and is actively moving to secure a Royal Cottunission to into the.conduct of the hospital. He made the following st_teme_t this morning to a "Star"' reporter: — 'Emergen-cy operating work in the institution prior to IW2 was performed by the honorary surgeons, and abdominal emergency' eases required the hill attendance of the honorary staff to consult upon The necessity for the operation. This regulation prevails in every other hospital in the colony, ami prevailed iv the Auckland hospital when it was as efrieiont as any other hospital in Niew Zealand. In 1002 the regulations were altered, nobody knows for what reason, and now, if a serious abdominal vase occur*, the senior medi-cal officer < K ammiitricates with the honorary surgeon, who takes under his charge the new cases admitted during the week. If the honorary surgeon is not in, ot unable to come, the senior medical officer at the hospital can operate with the assistance only of thp junior resident. I have persistently and vehemently objected to this.

"Ihe honorary staff on August !Hh," he continued, "passed a resolution suggesting to the Board the alienation of the emergency operating regulation, awl going back to the old rule. On August 10th I was suspended for an alleged offence committed four months previously. The working of the regulation has. m my opinion, been most unsatisfactory. The senior medical ■officer -has. up nil quite recenUy. kept the honorary stafl running up to the hospital unnecessarily to urgent x-onsul tat ions at all hours. In my two years' residence at the hospital there -were m>t more than twelve urgent night operations, but 1 can m-olle.-t, ofi"ha.nd, quite as many in the last six months. j n lSw_ the number of operations in Auckland hospital was more than doable that of any of the other principal hospitals in the colony, the. proportion being about 3 Dr. Neil a Lso had something to say about the finances of tbe institution Reverting to the surgical question, JJr. Neil said thnt within the last 12 months he had witnessed a surgical operation m the hospital which was unequalled iv the colony tor its magnitude and the brilliant res„H. vet Ihe honorary surgeon who performed it. was so absolutely dissatisfied with the state of affairs at ihe hospital that he resided. He would, however, go back to-morrow if what. Or. Neil described a* -the pre . '•ent deplorable state of « flair?" was changed. Dr. -Veil urged that all patients who had to undergo operations at the hospital should have, the benefit of the be-t surgical skill available. He had no >ympal.hy with l Iv- application of the "lust for operation" cry to the recognised surgeons of Auckland, and the sick of the hospital should have the benefit, of their skill without submit! i n g them to ihe indignity of being compelled to communicate with the Hospital Board through a. subordinate officer. "How can the latter complain ahout himself?" asked Dr. Neil, who said we never heard of hospital troubles at Dunedin. Why? Because <],<, Hoard of management in Dunedi-i was elected by the contributors U> the hospital. He considered that the charge made against him of being absent without leave for {nore tlian seven days was only a blind, tor the. real charge was only made known to him. for the first time at the meeting at. which he was suspended. "Are you moving personally to secure an inquiry?" asked the reporter, and Dr. Neil replied that he felt it would be presumptuous for him to do so, though lie intended to do all in his power "to influence, by proper methods, those in authority, so as to secure a Royal Commission to inquire into the "hospital management.