DOCTORS9 CONFERENCE Divorce From Hospital

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31295, 15 February 1967, Page 12

DOCTORS 9 CONFERENCE Divorce From Hospital

The almost complete divorce of the general practitioner from the hospital was described as a serious defect by Mr N." F. Greenslade in his presidential address to the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association in the Civic Theatre last night.

“When medicine was less complicated and hospitals less specialised, a patient could often be followed into hospital by his own family doctor who would also co-operate in his treatment there,” he said.

“It is greatly to the patient’s disadvantage that it is not possible today for the family doctor to admit a patient to hospital, treat him there, and consult and work with the hospital specialist in a close-knit team.”

The essence of the problem was that it was a break in the continuity of care of the ill patient, and it was recognised as a serious defect, and barrier in treatment. If it was important to remove the barrier, then “very basic reorganisation . and fundamental thinking may be necessary,” Mr Greenslade said.

“To remedy this defect in New Zealand may mean reorganisation of general practice into some form of larger groups or teams,” he said. “It may mean a compete reorientation of our hospital system.” As one of the basic needs in care of the patient and to allow the general practitioner to do the work he should be doing, the situation would have to be faced some time. The sooner it was faced, the less difficult it would be to correct.

Mr Greenslade said a system had been successfully operating in Canada for years, with satisfaction to both hospital and general practitioner. While in many other countries the decline of the family doctor could be seen, the preservation in New Zealand of responsible family practice gave the chance to build further onto this solid foundation a structure which could well be a model to the world.