GREY HOSPITAL STAFF

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 10

GREY HOSPITAL STAFF

NINE RESIGNATIONS IN ONE WEEK DISCUSSION AT BOARD MEETING CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT ON REASON (SPICIAL TO TMI FKXSS.) GREYMOUTH, February 22. The medical superintendent, the matron, six sisters, and one staff nurse all resigned this week from the Grey River Hospital, in Greymouth. The position was discussed at a meeting of the board this morning, at which the chairman (Mr R. McTaggart) said he was sure the trouble was engineered from outside the hospital. He advised board members to go to the electors and ask for the public's opinion on whether they were fit and proper persons to belong to the board, and said he was satisfied some of the board members were not.

In a later statement made to "The Press," Mr McTaggart said that the administrative officers of the*Jiospital were not at fault, and some of the board members were. Most of those who had resigned had been appointed by a previous board, some of the members of which had been unseated at the last board election. Some board members had made the position such that the staff was forced into this position, he said. The medical superintendent, Dr. J. W. Bridgman, had given the board three months' notice at the beginning of the week and the matron, Miss N. J. Sullivan, had resigned without notice on Friday. The board then received the. resignations of six sisters and one staff nurse.

Meeting of Board A full meeting of the board was held to-night to deal with the resignations.

The chairman (Mr R. McTaggart) said that a sub-committee had been set up to bring down a report on the administration of the institution, but the enquiry had not been completed. The position was becoming alarming, and he felt that they were going from bad to worse. It was a repetition of what the board had had two years ago, and was also similar to the trouble at Waihi. A fair amount of evidence had been collected by the sub-committee, but it was conflicting, the only reliable evidence being that of Dr. H. Barrett. There was nothing wrong with the hospital internally, he said. There was far more efficiency than ever, before, and there were no complaints from the patients.

Outside Influences Mr McTaggart said he felt sure the whole thing was being engineered from outside, and that the trouble was an external one. If it continued he would suggest that the board members go to the electors again by resigning, and then they would find out if they were fit and proper people to represent the electors. He was satisfied some board members were not. People would be surprised at the things that were done in the hospital, not by members of the staff, but by board members themselves.

The following resignations were received:—Sisters P. Dudderidge, A. Fraser, M. Gribben, J. I. Martin, J. Millar. D. Batt (X-Ray technician and dispenser), and Staff Nurse M.. Grey. In a joint letter the six sisters asked the board to refrain from requesting them to appear to discuss the matter, and stated that under the present conditions they felt they could not carry on in their positions.

The chairman said that Sister Moffatt, acting-matron, had said that she would also tender her resignations for private reasons.

Resignations "Trumped Up"

Mr F. L. Turley said he considered the resignations were purely a trumped-up stunt. The position* was that the medical superintendent had been going round all the sisters asking them to sign and answer a large number of questions. It was no wonder they had got the resignations. He was convinced that there was only one solution. Intimidation of the staff had to cease, and the only way to do that was to ask Dr. Bridgman to accept three months' pay in lieu of work. v He considered the resignations a definite intimidation of the board.

After a lively discussion by board members, Mr J. B. Kent said he considered he was wasting his time, and verbally resigned. Following a long discussion, Mr F. Boustridge moved that each of the sisters be written to requesting an explanation of the resignations, and if nothing was forthcoming the board should accept them. Mr A. Mosley seconded the motion.

The chairman moved an amendment that the sisters and superintendent should be asked to withdraw their resignations. He Ifelt that the sisters had a grievance in that the word of one nurse was taken before that of all the sisters in the institution. Mr J. B. Kent seconded the amendment.

The motion was carried by six votes to four, and the board decided to meet on Tuesday night to give* the sisters an opportunity to forward explanations. \ The matron, Miss N. J. Sullivan, who tendered her resignation on Friday night, left to-day for Wellington. Dr. Bridgman said to-night that he would not at present make any statement on the position.