Moves To End Shortage Of House Surgeons

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29182, 18 April 1960, Page 12

Moves To End Shortage Of House Surgeons

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 17. The Minister of Health (Mr Mason) has announced moves to relieve the present shortage of house surgeons. He said the Medical Officers’ Salaries Advisory Committee was urgently considering higher salaries, particularly for third and later years as junior medical officers, and improved amenities were being considered for married house mrgeona

Mr Mason said these moves followed a report to him by a special committee representing the Medical Superintendents’ Association, Hospital Boards’ Association and the Health Department.

“The committee considers that, based on present demands tor hospital services and under existing conditions, there will be a serious shortage of bouse surgeons in New Zealand for the next 10 to 15 years, unless their work Is undertaken by more senior staff,” Mr Mason said. “If, however, house surgeons can be encouraged to stay longer in the hospital service than the customary two years, the immediate shortage will be relieved. “To give them that encouragement the committee has quite rightly recommended an improved salary scale, oarticularly for the third and later years as iunior medical officers, and this is being given urgent attention by the Medical Officers’ Salaries Advisory Committee “Another recommendation is that improved amenities be provided for the increasing number of married house surgeons and this will be favourably considered where necessary Post-graduate Bursaries “The committee advocates the granting of post-graduate bursaries for overseas study to junior medical officers who have completed four years’ service in a hospital "I have already approved the recommendation that financial help be given to those who have been X recruited in the United Kingdom and Australia, for aprintment as bouse surgeons, but agree with the committee that this measure is unlikely to improve the situation appreciably. recommends that,

wherever possible, especially in smaller hospitals, more use should be made of part-time assistants drawn from the general practitioner service.

‘ln the long term, however, the committee’s opinion is that the only final solution of the shortage lies in an increased number of local graduates and that the present Medical School will not be able to provide this increase,” Mr Mason said.