HOSPITAL COSTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 106, 7 May 1942, Page 8

HOSPITAL COSTS

STRIKING OF LEVY

PRIME MINISTER'S VIEW

Representations have been made to the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, on behalf of Auckland local bodies, in connection with the proposal of the Auckland Hospital Board to make an increased levy on the contributing local authorities.

The matter was diseased at a meeting of the Auckland Suburban Local Bodies' Association. It was decided to protest against the proposed increase, and to make direct representations to the Prime Minister, to ask that the full cost of treating war service patients in hospital should be a charge on the War Expenses Account, and that the contribution from the Social Security Fund for maintenance of civilian patients should be increased.

liocal Body Attitude

After discussing the matter with the Prime Minister yesterday by telephone, the president of the association, Mr. I. J. Goldstine. said he had made it clear that the local bodies had agreed that it was quite proper that they should share in local emergency expenditure for hospital purposes, but it was considered that the Government should accept full responsibility for the cost of maintaining service patients, and that the social security subsidy should be increased to offset higher maintenance costs, seeing that the Government had fixed it at 6/ a day.

The Prime Minister had replied that he thought there was a case in regard to service patients' costs, and that there was also probably a case in connection with social security subsidy, provided that it could be shown that costs had increased. If a good, reasoned case was submitted, establishing that the Government contribution was inadequate in view of increased costs, the Government would give consideration to it.

Mr. Goldstine added that the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board. Mr. Allan J. Moody, had been approached, and asked that the board should agree to immediately submit a case in writing to the Prime Minister, also to defer the adoption of the estimates until the Government's decision is known.

Board to Decide

"It will be for the board to decide at a .meeting next Monday evening whether it will defer the matter for a further period, or proceed with the fixing of the levy," said Mr. Moody this morning. "My own feeling is that, seeing that the board at the last meeting deferred the matter for two weeks, another two weeks would not hurt. I have always felt that the care and attention of service patients is entirely a matter for the Army Department from the lime that a man is taken into the forces until he is back in civilian life. I have repeatedly maintained that attitude since I have been chairman of the board."