HOSPITAL BOARD FINANCES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23625, 30 April 1942, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD FINANCES

LEVY PRACTICALLY UNCHANGED

REPORT TO ANNUAL MEETING The levy on contributing local bodies towards the support of the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s programme for the coming financial year will be approximately what it was last year, the increase being only £247. This was discussed at the annual meeting of the board yesterday, when the estimates, prepared by the finance committee, were unanimously adopted. In a survey of the position last year and an estimate of the position in the year just beginning, the chairman of the committee, Mr C, Flavell, told board members that the war had forced the board to face much emergency expenditure, and early in the year he had pondered how the budget might be made to balance. However, it had been done.

“The year finished with credit balances both in the maintenance and capital accounts,’’ he said. “On the maintenance side, both receipts and payments were considerably ahead of the estimates, the position at the end of the year being that the credit in our maintenance account was £4048. On the capital side there was a credit of £1096, with Government subsidies of £16,910 outstanding. “The budget for the new year provides for a levy of £116,703, compared with £116,456 last ycaj. In the budget provision is made for the wages increase, which accounts for about £6OOO, for emergency expenditure, for a considerable capital programme involving improvements at Christchurch, the Sanatorium, and the Burwood and Kaikoura Hospitals,’’ said Mr Flavell. A statement showing the amount required from public funds, together with comparative figures for the four preceding years, was attached. This was as follows, the levy being given first, the subsidy second, and the total third;—l93B-39,. £94,142, £90,548, £184,690; 1939-40, £109,783, £108,514, £218,297; 1940-41, £95,097, £80,009, £175,106; 1941-42, £116,456, £120,435, £236,891; 1942-43, £116,703, £115,138, £231,841.

“It will be seen that although our levy is slightly higher, the subsidy figure, which represents payments from the Consolidated Fund, is lower, the net decrease being £5050,” continued Mr Flavell.

“It might be agreed that some of the capital items could very well be financed out of loans, I feel, and I know that in this matter the finance committee is behind me, that in view of our long-range programme for the rebuilding of Christchurch Hospital, all of which will be paid by loan, it is well that smaller items involving in themselves expenditure of up to £BOOO, should be paid by levy and subsidy, more particularly when this can be done without unduly raising the rates. .

“Our hospital rate for the new financial year will be .41 Id, which is equivalent to 34s 3d per £IOOO of capital value,” Mr Flavell added. He moved that the levy be approved, subject to the consent of the Minister of Health being obtained. The motion was seconded by the chairman of the board (Mr L. B. Evans) and carried. In seconding the motion, Mr Evans expressed pleasure that the levy did not show any appreciable increase. He said the increased demands made by the military created a difficult position for the board. The board had to be ready to take all the patients sent along. To accommodate more than 300 soldier patients took a great deal of planning, and the value of Burwood and the auxiliary hospital at Addington had been amply demonstrated.