Staffing Difficulties At Cashmere And Burwood

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29238, 23 June 1960, Page 21

Staffing Difficulties At Cashmere And Burwood

Difficulties in the use of all teds at Princess Margaret Hospital “as early as possible” are jjouse surgeon and nursing staffing, the institutions committee reported to the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday. It appeared that shortage of certain grades of nursing staff w ould make it difficult to provide more beds, said the committee, reporting discussions with the senior medical and nursing officers of its three major institutions in Christchurch.

It was hoped that one more ward would be opened in October.

A serious shortage of trained nursing staff had developed at Burwood Hospital, necessitating a restriction in the work of the plastic unit and threatening further restrictions. At a conference, it was agreed that general and plastic surgery could continue at Burwood and that Christchurch Hospital should accept traumatic emergencies until the shortage of nursing staff eased. Burwood would continue to deal with burns and maxillofacial surgery. The plastic surgeons would be available for consultation at Christchurch Hospital as required. The Hospital Boards’ Association will be asked to take up urgently with the Minister of Health the re-introduction of the immigrant nomination scheme for nurses from the United Kingdom. Discussing the report on Princess Margaret Hospital, Mr L. A. Bennett said he was a little alarmed when he read it. When policy was being discussed, it was almost promised, or hoped, that one ward would be opened in July and an additional one in October.

“I think it is in everybody’s interests that we should be told, as fully as possible, why it is not now possible,” said Mr Bennett. The chairman (Dr. L. C. L. Averill) said he had gone fully into the matter. It had been explained that as there were not enough nurses, the opening of another ward would have to be delayed. The medical superintendent of Princess Margaret Hospital (Dr. R. C. S. Dick) had said a further surgical ward could be opened but when medical students were withdrawn preparatory to sitting their final examinations, the hospital might be short of house surgeons. The Medical Superintendent in Chief to the board (Dr. T. Morton) told him that the position could be well covered. More senior student nurses were required, said Dr Averill. There was no trouble about recruitment but the board had to wait until classes moved up to a higher grade before a new ward could be opened. Fourteen or 15 nurses were needed to staff a new ward.

“You can imagine that to put junior nurses into a senior position too early places a great mental strain on the nurses and is bad policy,” said Dr. Averill. % Two Wards to Open The surgical ward at Cashmere would be opened in October and the second medical ward in January, said Dr. Averill. The hospitals were training schools and the trainees under a three-year curriculum could not be looked upon as full-time nurses, said Dr. Morton. If given senior work too early, the nurses worried and were inclined to resign.

The anomalous position was that private hospitals could make nominations for free passages and get nurses out from the United Kingdom, said Mr D. Macmillan. The board’s recruitment of nurses was as good as ever, if not better, but staff had to be found to nurse the patients in the extra beds. The immigration policy had not been revoked; it had just been dropped. Why had the difficulty not been foreseen when the curriculum was increased to three years to take in maternity training? asked Miss B. Webb. It had been stressed that the intake of nurses would be greater

I and that, by the reduction of the • ag®, girls could begin training , almost on leaving school, replied Dr. Averill. Miss Webb: We should have re- • alised that we would reach this - awkward stage. ‘‘lt has been foreseen,” replied Dr. Averill. “We cannot open ‘ 250 beds and admit patients the f following day. Experience in . other countries is that it takes two years to commission fully a new hospital.” i No blame should be placed on r any member of the staff for the . situation, said Mr Macmillan.