“Hospital Cuts Like Army Soup Recipe”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 11

“Hospital Cuts Like Army Soup Recipe”

The Health Department's request for a 2 per cent cut in expenditure was like the recipe for army soup, said Mr F. W. Gilbert at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday.

“For-army soup you take two gallons of water, two onions and two potaties,” he said. “If it is too thick you take out one potato. This request for a 2 per cent cut is like taking out the one potato.”

Mr Gilbert said the board's expenditure was already spread very thinly. A 2 per cent cut amounted to nearly £lOO.OOO over the last six months of the year—equivalent to £200.000 for the year.

“It seems somewhat unrealistic,” he said, “to deprive people of medical atention because the department is curtailing the expenditure of hospital boards.”

Mr H. O. Hills, chairman of the finance committee, said there would be no reduction in services to patients. The proposed reductions would curtail other expenditure. Dr. L. C. L. Averill, the board's chairman, said it was quite right for the board to make a critical survey with a view to reducing expenditure where it could do sq without impairing hospital services. The board approved several methods of achieving economies. No further staff establishment increases will be made effective until April 1 next year, and all new increases approved already, but not filled, will be deferred until the same date except in special circumstances. Wherever possible the number of staff granted leave to attend conferences and courses would be reduced except where there was no direct cost to the board.

Requests or approvals for salary and wage increases would be deferred until the start of the next financial year. excepting increases through the operation of awards and industrial agreements, Hospital Employment Regulations, scale increments, normal annual reviews or exceptional circumstances. • Consumption of drugs, dressings, surgical instruments and appliances would be reviewed, a further investigation would be made of housekeeping expenses, and stocks generally would be reduced.

“These suggestions are in addition to reviews already being made on week-end cleaning and domestic staffing schedules and the closing of the Princess Margaret Hospital nurses’ home kitchen and dining rooms at week-ends,” said the finance committee’s report.. “Consideration will also be given to the establishment of a committee of senior depart?

mental beads among the hospital staff to advise on the best ways of achieving further reductions. The Medical Super-intendent-in-Chief will prepare a report on means of reducing the amount of drugs issued on hospital prescriptions to outpatients.