THE HOSPITAL HONORARY STAFF.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 72, 24 March 1908, Page 4

THE HOSPITAL HONORARY STAFF.

Wβ are .rather at a loss to -understand , ,the surprise and indignation which, according to our morning contemporary,, have been aroused by the failure of ttie Hospital Board to appoint Dr. Eoberton to another term on the honorary medical staff. No doubt Dr. Eoberton has done good service for the hospital, and in the cause of public health, but ;w.e do not see that, this constitutes. any claim to hold such a position permanently* The right' of appointment to the honorary staff is vested in the Hospital Board, and it .seems to us that.Mr. Bagnall's charge of: '■ingratitude" against the Board for appointing someone else is unwarrant- ?]>% •Wβ do not intend t 0 draw invidious comparisons, but we are glad to observe'that no one -who has criticised the action of the Board has ventured to suggest that the medical men appointed to fill : thft places .of Dr. .and "Dr. Bull are .not fully competent to undertake their duties. This being .so, we entirely fail to see what all the trouble is. M°ut. As to ..the .protest by' the honorary consulting staff to the Board, we agree 'with-' Mr. Knight that the staff -is "labour.-' ing under some strange misappre-' hension as to its position. It is certainly not the duty .of the. consulting staff to make these .appointment, and therefore -it seems to us to follow that it is not their business to interfere with the Board in this matter. As «to the suggestion that, the Boards exercise of its right of selection will deter other medical men from giving their services as members of the staff, we do not think that •the hospital has much to fear on this score. The position of members of the honorary staff not only confers a distinct professional status on its .holder, but affords .opportunities for gaining such valuable medical and surgical experience that there is never likely to be lack of competition for these posts. In the present instance, we cannot discover the slightest ground for suspecting that the Hospital Board has been actuated by any motive but a disinterested desire to secure the best interests o{ the tion entrusted to its charge, and we are very glad to see that Mr. Bagnall's proposal to .challenge the validity of the election secured, no support |rom. .other gmem-' ibeis *f tW'Board.- "-■•■- -. • -■ -:.;■; .