HOSPITAL OPERATIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 5

HOSPITAL OPERATIONS

CLAIM FOR FEES. (By Telegraph.—Own Corresput.iie::t.i RAETIHr, Thursday. A case of great local interest was brought before the Court last night when Dr. R. J. Boyd, of Raetihi, sued the Wanganui Hospital Board for fees in connection with operations performed by him at the Waimarino Hospital. Mr. X. L. Ritchie appeared for plaintiff and Mr. Izaard, of Wanganui, for defendants.

In opening the case Mr. Ritchie said the claim was for operations performed for and on behalf of the Wanganui Hospital Board. The operations were performed at the request of the then medical superintendent of the local hospital. The plaintiff was not an honorary surgeon of the Waimarino I'ublic Hospital, which was under the jurisdiction of the Wanganui Hospital Board.

Dr. Grace If. Pronde (nee Kime) .-tilted that she was medical superintendent at the local hospital from May to October, 102.">. They had one honorary surgeon attached to the hospital, but he lived nine miles away. She received instructions to run the hospital as a general hospital, and the board, she knew, was running it as such. The board also knew she could not- perform major operations, and that she would have to get outside help for this work. The board knew that she had obtained outside help, and they had not objected to it, She considered that the surgeon should be paid for the operations he had performed. She had not received in writing instructions regarding running the hospital as a general hospital, but she considered she had complete authority to run it as such. To Mr. ly.aa.rd. in cross-examination, witness said she had read the regulations of her appointment, which stated that no major operations were to lie performed without communicating with the Wanganui Board. She had not done this. She was told verbally by a member of the board to get outside help and to run the hospital as a general hospital. In the first instance she did not think any fees would be charged, and Dr. Boyd had operated upon other patients for which he was not claiming.

Mr. l/.aard said that as Mr. Ritchie had stated that his main evidence would bt brought through the present witness, he would like to raise a nonsuit point at this stage, that no proof had been tendered that the Hospital Board were liable for payment for tbe operations Dr. Boyd had performed.

Mr. Ritchie objected to this, and the case was adjourned for a month.