Ashburton’s Visiting Physician Resigns

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30633, 26 December 1964, Page 1

Ashburton’s Visiting Physician Resigns

The Ashburton Hospital Board is faced with the prospect of having no physicians on duty after January 1 because of a further withdrawal from the medical staff, received by the board on Thursday.

A telegram was sent to the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) immediately after the resignation was received, advising of the latest development and again asking for an early inquiry. The latest to resign is a senior physician at the Christchurch Hospital, Dr. P. F. Sheppard, who had been appointed visiting consulting physician at Ashburton Hospital, involving visits one day a week. Dr. Sheppard had previously confirmed his appointment to the board.

His withdrawal was received by the board by telephone on Thursday. Two days before, at a special meeting, the secretary (Mr D. J. Aitken) told members an Ashburton practitioner who had been appointed visiting medical physician had withdrawn his application on December 21. Mr Aitken said the Christchurch physician had confirmed his appointment at that stage. The special meeting was called as a result of a letter sent to newspapers by four Ashburton doctors who had terminated their employment with the board during the year.

Board members, after considering charges made by the doctors against the board about their conditions of work, decided unanimously to ask the Minister of Health to make a full and urgent inquiry. The chairman of the Ashburton Hospital Board (Mr M. D. McDowell) said neither the withdrawal of Dr. Sheppard nor the withdrawal of the local practitioner on Monday was due to the conditions of employment at the hospital.