HOSPITAL PLANNING.

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

HOSPITAL PLANNING.

APPOINTMENT OF EXPERTS.

DISCUSSION BY CONFERENCE,

(By Toleirniph.—Pr»>»e AhwwlhiMoti.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday.

The question of honpit.nl planning and construction, regarded as most important in view of the ever-increasing demand for hospital accommodation and the largo amount of public money that will be spent on hospital buildings in Xew Zealand during the next few years, occupied considerable time at the conference of the New Zealand HobPitiil Boards' Association to-day. Several remits were before the conference urging that, with the object of standardising buildings throughout the Dominion and making available to hospital hoards standardised plans and specifications in accordance with advances in modern practice, so as to ensure that money expended on hospital buildings will be spent to the greatest •dvantage, an advisory board of experts flhnuld be set up. Some delegates expressed the opinion that New Zealand architects had not •pecialiaed in hospital construction, but others held that there were bright young men in the profession in New Zealand who only needed to be given •n opportunity. The opinion was expressed that the Health Department's staff was doing ■plendid work, and that if it were augmented by the appointment of experts to a»»iHt hospital boards in the deslanitog of their buildings, the position would be met. An amendment to that effect was carried.