ENGLISH HOSPITALS

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20587, 1 July 1932, Page 13

ENGLISH HOSPITALS

gOME OF THEIR PROBLEMS. glB FREDERICK MENZIES INTERVIEWED. cjr Frederick Menzies, Chief Medi- ? ofccer of the London County ** | :i ,vbo with his son is making ]&Mire tour, arrived in Wellington * Tuesday from Sydney, and in an tSLrview, expressed some interesting problems connected with hospitals. Those of New ZeafTeir Frederick mado it clear, he ■ jL. Jesiro to criticise. It difficult, Sir Frederick said, nrfitat© a comparison between the systems of other SSlsmce the English methods were ISSIa? to the country. There were osteins operating in London, m'jhlic hospital system and hospital system. For a 4,500.000 there were Neither Bich nor Poor. , i.fhfi great difficulty is to provide .iStonl.v for the h'S S r ««P <> neither rich noi poor," L F 6O^6 .llSir Frederick. "Inere is If «*Sf£,ligati (m 0,1 the purt °/ th + ° II fJSK County Council to give treatIft even the most destitute. £opl« are P r « vld u ed f or , m , hos ; SSK&ing a hl « h standard of is also legal power 'payment from such patients to "fthle to pay for treatment. If aSe P J pay, say, £4, they a nd so on down the scale, few shillings. There is also fCJf on the part of relapay for relatives, The annual *T,If the 83,000 beds in the public gL£k is about £3.000 000, which is PgrTf the ratepayers of London and £?SuLt*l bv block grants from the r*Tynrnr-%t the payment of such asiiailv extending over a period

of J*™ Voluntary Hospitals, fti -reluctary hospitals, he contiua great feature ot the Brit♦lvSeHt. The post-war experience institutions was that they were },« costing 140 per cent, more «er annum than in pre-war S- Subscriptions were increased, not come up to the increased JJiings came to a head in 1920. Be Gorernment made a grant of AsflfljTOsnd moneys were made availSon the National War Fund, the KfWff, the King Edward Hospital gjj ac d other sources. These moneys a breathing space, but other fmiiiw! means had to be devised. » -Tfrr'ffll"*"* 1 " ol payment by patients VUiairodoccd. but it proved unpopu[p ijjig public mind had to be eduegjed to it- An almoners' department tfera established. Suitable persons ta&er*eai* two years' course of trainjsgnuta be able to investigate the tn» dmunstsnces of each patient. fl» in**— of the almoners did not «•! fjiete, for they had to deal with ■mlftt*" affecting patients' convalescence. Gradually, however, payment hf Rcultt became an established prac-

I.» Dontrflmtion Scheme. s jJjjetbiSr ;Kiscraß was Known as tli fOgUMtiuu scheme, and under i wafa'flwttm. Diid small bums ot a fe\ jmo lfg&iy, which were collects ua&ir betweco employer jutd-tbs 'haqpiftta/ Private nursin; frtwfn |n Jjua&gi is*e„ too expensiv far means. At tempts wmiiKHrbetng .made to estab lah hospitals, Tim by busines JMgr w and sue! Dliiijliif I>l in'fii 'biiiiiTiTjifiifi iMj do alo tofafi homes. * - IjSwßWUiifr Use of Hospitals. present/' Sir Frederick con is.too much uneconomii Patients remain ii lpo : lni£ from the economic jM||p)f Tier, and too long for theii fgSgjMMfit. Hospitals should be use< awMpHid of the necessary point only MggPto patients ought, to be pro : -MP""' other institutions. Ii vpSSfqii there feaa been established i auxiliary hospitals, or con '■mmm to which patient 8 s soon as they are abl< ' ' !j r ' .The, turnover of lios gpjj«?fe r in consequence doubled, anc -Mm «oßt of- a hospital is betweei 'gjg'iwl fire guineas a week it shoulc Jpjgjflw to provide auxiliary treat " amount." * tfe liwierick concluded by saying ®J» « W always been impressec extravagance in the mattei jgijojpital buildings. For that h< SUP* philanthropic magnates o Wjtnca were largely to blame. Thej ■7 Bn d-others followed. El a SEr buildings were unneces when it was remem * with the rapid progress oi WgOtfioence what would be termec lying to-day would 35 year PW Probably be described as "al money were available i 1 ■fPWW b# used in the provision of tin gvfjgjjt in the way of staff anc Frederick intends visiting vari of ti«e Dominion. He wil rj* Auckland for Vancouver or r *oth. and travel across the Do pj pnopda on his return liome. « is a member of the ConnTT r " a t'°nal Association for tht of Tuberculosis and has reEPii ® Britain at various ■" Jr2f*' °° n cresses He is the authoi on m ®dical subjects, inolud8b Sife" 011 ' 08 ' 8 ant * matcrna ' an ® !' , " ■