DOCTORS’ SALARY SCALE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25738, 25 February 1949, Page 9

DOCTORS’ SALARY SCALE

EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED An assurance had been given in Wellington that the new salary scale for senior hospital staff would be announced within a fortnight, Mr J. J. Brownlee told the North Canterbury Hospital Board on Wednesday. In protesting about delays the board mignt be “going off at half cock.” The chairman (Mr V. C. Lawn) said members of the profession and the board had been put off by such assurances for a long time. They were getting tired. “The medical superintendent has referred once more to the dissatisfaction and unrest evident among fulltime medical officers everywhere In New Zealand at the delays in the production of salary scales for full-time medical officers, senior administrative officers, and other staffs not covered by awards or agreements,” said Mr P. Stanley Foster (chairman) in the hospital committee .report. “While the consideration granted other branches of the hospital staff is welcomed. it appears that the groups referred to have not. during past years, received the consideration due to them. The committee asks that the board’s concern and alarm at the delays should be expressed to the Hospital Boards’ Association and. if necessary, to the Department of Health,” he said. This was approved. Mrs W. S. Bean said this was a burning question in hospitals throughout the country. She thought the board realised that some of its officers were inadequately paid. The general public had the advantage of the knowledge and work of men who were poorly paid in comparispn with outside practitioners working on social security.