DIFFICULT YEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 33, 9 February 1939, Page 7

DIFFICULT YEAR.

HOSPITAL BOARDS.

SYSTEM OF FINANCE.

QUESTION FOR ELECTORS,

(Br 'ivicorrnpli.- pre** Association.)

Ni;\V IM.YMOITFf. Wednesday.

"Sili'e "iir last, conference drastic change* liave been made in mnnv direct i..H-. us result ..f which hospital hfiiinls have encountered many difliMillie-." «iii(l M-. .1. W. Dove, presi dent of the New Zealand Hospital Board"- A«*oHnt ion. Nt its conference at New I , l> month today. Mi. Move inciitioiicd the shortening of h - mid tl ffcet this had had in Increased stuffs and the inevitably higher cii»i of administration. • * \\ Inn Ihc executive interviewed the MinUi i of llenltli, the Hon. 1 , . Kniser, HP''kin'.' -pniiil consideration for i,, )H .' pil.il Iμ.an Is owing to their work being Piiiiiel\ different from private enter" pii-f. 'I"' Minister expressed heart v rum-til i-fiii-i'. said Mr. Dove. ~ud as a ri-nlt "i ivpi-conitiitiitiM to the pxecitHw nf Ihe Federation of Labour, this hoik reeoiiiiiii'iided its afliliatcd organi.mitioiis to nceord hospital boards their Kynipat liel \r enuperat ion. "A far greater problem." said the president, '■confronts us when we come tn iiin -inl: staffs. If we were able to obtain the necessary numbers of nurses ami trainees, m> accommodation would br available to house thorn. It must involve boards in heavy capital expenditure, not to i i< i>>n what it will mean in salary increases. "This all means further increases in nillilltcnaiiee charges, and as the use of hospitals for all illnesses is steadily increasing, all boards, especially the larger ones, me confronted with the necessity of increasing their bed accoinnodntioii. At the present time there 1» a shortage of at least l">00 beds. "If the system of hospital finance is wrong, then electors should exercise their rights and return members to the Legislature who will alter the system. I would here like to sound the" note of warning. From time to time suggestions are made that a. greater proportion of hospital finance should be provided from Government funds, and that responsibility fur the cost of certain types of treatment should Vie that of the Govern? ment. The cold fact is thnt without local financial responsibility, there cannot be local control." The conference elected the following officers: - President. Mr. J. W. Dtove (Diinediu), vice-presidents, Messrs. L. B. Evans (Christchiirch), ,J. Glover (Wellington), and Allan .1. Moody (Auckland); executive committee, the Hon. W. H Mclntyre (Wellington), Messrs. E. Ma (Donald (Timaru), J. A. McKay (Whangarei), W. R. Broderiek (Wanganui), and P. E. Ktiiintou (Taranaki).