ALL ACCEPTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 201, 26 August 1935, Page 9

ALL ACCEPTED.

STAFF. RESIGNATIONS. WAIHI HOSPITAL DISPUTE SUPERINTENDENT TO RESIGN. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WAIHI, this day. Climax was reached in the Waihi Hospital trouble at an extraordinary meeting of the Hospital Board, held in the board's office on Saturday evening, when the resignations of the whole of the nursing and domestic staffs were received and accepted. The medical superintendent, Dr. L. R. Hetherington, retired from the meeting, stating that the board would have his resignation in duo course. He declined to carry out the orders of the board in respect to the reinstatement of a nursing aid, Miss Howie. It was decided to invite applications forthwith for the positions of matron, senior and junior sisters, six staff nurses, five nursing aids, and ten members of the domestic staff—24 in all. Dr. Hetherington tendered his resignation to-day as medical superintendent of the Waihi Hospital. He states that he will not leave Waihi, but will continue in private practice. Communications were read at Saturday evening's meeting from the Director-General of Health, Dr. H. M. Watt, and from the medical superintendent regarding the action of the board in reinstating Miss Howie, who has since left the institution of her own accord. At the outset, Mr. A. E. Johnson began to refer to an interview with the chairman, as published, in tho Press, to the effect that "when the nursing aid was suspended a month ago, the whole of the nursing staff asked to be allowed to meet the board and place their views before it, but tho request was declined, and had it been acceded to, no doubt the trouble would have ended there. The chairman, However, would not permit Mr. Johnson to proceed, stating that the matter could not be considered at that meeting, and that the opinion expressed in the interview was his own. The first business taken was the approval of the official action in allowing Miss Howie to leave on August 22, and in paying her salary. Mr. C. Copestake inquired the reason for Miss Howie's departure. The secretary, Mr. Collier, replied thae Miss Howie had explained to him that she could not possibly stay on, as she was so upset. Mr. Copestake: What sort of treatment did she receive from the staff? Mr. Boxall: She has informed me that it was on account of the nature of such treatment that she left. Porter and Gardener Left. The staff resignations next came up for discussion, the chairman remarking that the only ones left were the medical superintendent, the porter and gardener. It was moved by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Campbell that all the resignations be accepted.

Mr. F. Raddings considered that this was a very drastic step, and that all members of the staff had resigned on the principle of being loyal to one another. He did not agree with the motion, and thought there would be difficulty in securing the services of suitable nurses. Mr. Boxall: There are just as good nurses out of employment as there are in employment. No institution can function under a threat. Mr. Copestake: The nurses have flouted the board in not working in harmony with Miss Howie and by tendering their resignations en bloc. The chairman pointed out that they had acted individually in the matter. He was surprised that no reasons had been given in support of the motion, and asked, if the resignations were accepted, how the board was to obtain a domestic staff by next Tuesday. Mr. Johnson: There will be a staff here next Tuesday. "Board Must Uphold Discipline." Mr. Campbell: I think the staff as a whole has treated the board very unfairly. Before the motion was put, Mr. Johnson said that the medical superintendent had stated at last Tuesday's meeting that there must be discipline in the institution, but he would say there must also be discipline from the board's standpoint. The board was the controlling body of the staff and of the hospital generally. He would decline to sit as a member of the board any longer if the board allowed the "big stick" to be held over it. The board must uphold discipline. The members of the staff knew what they were doing, and it was "their own funeral" if their resignations were accepted. Mr. Johnson's motion accepting the resignations was carried by six votes to three. * Position of Matron. A letter was read from Mr. F. C. V. Clark, solicitor acting for the matron, Miss M. K. Stevenson, asking that reasons be supplied to him in writing for her summary dismissal by the board. On the motion of Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Campbell, it was decided to inform Mr. Clark that the matron had been dismissed in accordance with terms of the resolution passed at last Tuesday's special meeting of thi board. The resolution referred to read as follows: "That we, as a board, have no further use for the matron at the hospital, and that he- services be dispensed with as from now, and that she receive three months' salary in lieu of notice." The board next considered the question of staffing the institution from the matron down, and it was decided to advertise for applications fo~ the various positions forthwith. Applications for the domestic staff will bn dealt with on Tuesday evening. On the motion of Mr. Campbell it was decided that the board supply a reference to Miss Howie. The Director-General of Health, in a letter, dated August 22, referred to the action of the board in reinstating Nurse Howie, and to the resignations of the entire nursing and domestic staffs. "I would point out," he said, "that by retaining a. nurse on the staff, whose work has proved to be professionally unsatisfactory, your board is assuming very grave responsibilities, and I would therefore very strongly urge your board to reconsider its decision in this ••latter. - ' Superintendent's Stand. * ?>•/*«• to the secretary from the medical superintendent, Dr. Hetherington, who was present, was next read. The superintendent said: "With reference to your letter of the 21st inst., m which I am informed that by resolution of the board, I am ordered to reinstate Miss B. J. Howie, I beg to inform you that I have not carried out this order, and would like you to bring the followin" facts before the notice of the board. In dealing with patients I am solely responsible for their welfare, and in no circumstances is it possible for me, either legally or professionally, to move that responsibility on to the board, even if it was willing to receive it and I

wished to be relieved of it. This, being the case, it is essential that I have a staff of nurses which I consider efficient, and that I be able to dispense with the services of any found unsuitable. As the board has already been informed, Miss Howie, after due trial, was found unsuitable, hence she was given notice to cease duty on the 26th inst. In face of this, I find myself unable to carry out your order to reinstate Miss Howie, and unless this resolution is withdrawn, and I am left with full control of the staff, I have no option but to tender my resignation." Mr. Boxall: I think our medical superintendent has over-ruled the order of the board. Mr. Campbell moved that the resignaof the medical superintendent be received, stating that tho doctor was doing the same thing as the staff. It was pointed out, however, that the doctor had not actually resigned, and Mr. Campbell agreed to withdraw his motion. Tho medical superintendent pointed out that by reinstating Miss Howie the board was forcing him to work with a nurse who had been found unsatisfactory. Board's Powers Defined. At this stage permission was granted to Mr. Johnson to read and put in a communication received by him from the Director-General of Health as follows: "I am in receipt of the letter of the 22nd inst., signed by yourself and three other members of the board, concerning an inquiry stated by you to have been held by the matron and Dr. Hetherington in connection with a certain nurse. If the inquiry was held in the manner you state the Department could ijot, of course, approve of this, but the "matter is one entirely for your board, as stated in a letter sent to you to-day in another connection. The medical superintendent, matron and all the nursing staff of the hospital are servants of tho Waihi Hospital Board, and if the board desires to remove them from its service or take any other disciplinary action in connection with any member of the staff it is within the power of the board to do so." After some further discussion, it was moved by Mr. Ward, seconded by Mr. Seeth and carried, "That in respect to the medical superintendent's letter, he be informed that the rules and regulations of the board be complied with as heretofore." Dr. Hetherington: I fear I must retire. You will have my resignation in due course. This concluded the meeting. Mr. Johnson informed the "Star" correspondent that he and his colleagues on the board wished to give an emphatic denial to tho statement given by the chairman in an interview and published in the Press. No such request by the nursing staff, said Mr. Johnson, had ever come before the board. Mr. Johnson and other members of the board associated with him said in their opinion there would be no difficulty whatever in filling the various positions under the board now that a definite change had been made.