NEW OFFICERS ?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 272, 16 November 1937, Page 9

NEW OFFICERS ?

HOSPITAL STAFF.

REPORT TO BOARD.

CENTRALISED CONTROL

WIU. aBCRXTART RETIRE ?

Th» appointment of a managersrrretary for the Auckland Hospital at a salary of £1500, rising to £2000 at the end of the first year, and the abolition of the office of medical superintendent—to be replaced by two officers, a director of surgery and a director of medicine on a similar salary scnle to th* manager-secretary—were recommended to the Auckland Hnnpital Board this afternoon by a special sub-commit-tee. Ft was the final washing up of the report on the administration of the hospital presented by Mr. G. Grey in mpbell.

Notice of motion to the effect stated was given by the chairman, the Rev. W. ~ C. Wood. He gave notice also to move \> "That those employees-of the board who '" have reached the retiring age or period be given three months' notice of the ,fj termination of their engagement, the «-■ board to consider the ternw of their re- . tirement at the meeting of the board in a committee on December 7." t Mr. Sommerville's Position. * It is stated that this motion, if car- I ried, will mean the retirement of the fc present secretary of the board, Mr. H. I A. .Sommerville (unless he is appointed v to the position of manager-secretary). I)r. C. E. Maguire, medical snperinten- { dent of the Auckland Infirmary, would j also be affected. Dr. Maguire, however, , submitted hie resignation to the board | at to-day's meeting. • 1 The sub-committee which brought \ down these recommendations consisted i of Mr. Wood, Mrs. M. Dreaver, Dr. E. B. (Juneon, and Messrs. G. T. Pervin and < W. A. Bishop. They reported this after- i noon that they had considered the five < separate points in the Grey Campbell j report, which had been deferred. 1 They recommended that the sugges- 1 tion in that report concerning the retire- ! juent of officers who have reached the < superannuation level should be adopted. ' There were, they stated, four officers • who had passed the retiring period. One ' of these had sent in his resignation. Large Salaries Needed. In recommending the appointment of a. manager-eecretary, the committee ( Stated that it was of the opinion that , a large salary would have to be paid to attract the right type of man. It had to be remembered that the hospitel and its subsidiary institutions represented in •11 an enormous undertaking and a corresponding responsibility. A man to control effectively such an organisation must have had experience in handling large* and complicated interests. The question of medical staffing had been considered with great care, it was stated, and the committee suggested that the office of medical superintendent (at present held by Dr. J. W. Craven) should be abolished, and replaced by the appointment of two director*—a director of surgery and a director of medicine. "Aβ the dnty of the board in to consider at all times the well-being of the patient, there should be two highlyskilled medical men directly responsible for the surgical and medical treatment of those patients," it was stated. "It is felt that the business side of hospital administration can be attended to by an experienced layman—the proposed secre-tary-manager, who, when the administrative block is erected at the hospitel, will be in the centre of hospital activities." This represented a division of responsibility—the business control to one man, and the surgical and medical treatment in the control of two men. The board had to offer attractive salaries to attract the most competent men. Relative! Employed. Two other matters were dealt with )>y the mib-eommittee. It was recommended that, in view of the dwindling of responsibility, the office of house manager should be abolished and the duties now discharged by the actingmanager undertaken by an officer to lie designated "chief clerk,"' or sonie other suitable title.

The report concluded: "Mr. Grey Campbell draws attention to the number of relatives in the board's employ, and recommends thet the board should define its attitude on this matter. Your committee recommends that the board should give direction that clone relatives be not employed, and that where they arc so employed at the present time a rearrangement of their work be effected."