SOME APPROVED

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 100, 29 April 1937, Page 8

SOME APPROVED

HOSPITAL STAFF.

MINISTER'S LETTER.

REPLY TO HONORARIES.

WILJC. THERE BE AN INQUIRY?

Ministerial approval of some of the proposed appointees to the honorary staff of the Auckland Hospital has been given, according to a letter received to-day by Dr. Frank Macky, chairmon of the honorary staff committee, from the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. JTraser. The letter also states that the honorary staff's request for a commission of inquiry into the appointments of the honoraries is being held over by the Miinster for consideration.

The chairman of the Hospital Board, the Rev. W. C. Wood, is at present in Wellington and is not due back until Monday. It is understood that he has interviewed the Miinster of Health over the contretemps that has developed between the board and the honorary staff. _ .

The Minister's letter to Dr. Macky reads: — "I am in receipt of your letter of April 15, conveying from a meeting of the honorary staff of the Auckland Hospital a request for the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry into the matter of tlve recent election by the Auckland Hospital Board of the honorary staff. "I note with great regret that there is serious dissatisfaction among members of the honorary staff in the matter, and I may say tliat the DirectorGeneral of Health is conveying to the board a recommendation that it should reconsider the selection of certain of the proposed appointees, with a view to ensuring that, according to the board's best information and judgment, the most competent and otherwise suitable applicants are choeen. "I have signified my approval of certain of the proposed appointments, which the board is accordingly free to make. In the meantime lam holding over consideration of the request made by the honorary staff. Further information will be required as to the grounds for the request, and also an indication of the evidence that is available in that connection, but before writiii<r you more specifically I desire to have further advice from the board."

It is likely that a special meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board will be held to consider the contretemps before the board In committee, meeting next Tuesday.