Deputation Over Hospital Closing

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31409, 30 June 1967, Page 12

Deputation Over Hospital Closing

After the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) told a Lyttelton deputation in Wellington yesterday that the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s proposal to close the ports maternity hospital would be considered by the Hospitals Advisory Council, the deputation realised that a member of the council is an interested party.

Dr. L. C. L. Averill, chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, is South Island representative on the Hospitals Advisory Council. “We forgot this until we had left the Minister,” said the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. B. Collett) on his return last evening. “We dp not question Dr. Averill’s integrity, but in all the circumstances he is in a difficult position. I suggest that Dr. Averill should step aside when the council considers our case.” Mr Collett said that otherwise the deputation was well satisfied with its hearing by the Minister. An appointment of 30 minutes was extended to an hour by the Minister, even though he and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) were due at caucus meetings. The Minister seemed im-

Consulted last evening, Dr. Averill said:

pressed by Lyttelton’s case, Mr Collett said, and promised full consideration of all the claims. He promised a decision “fairly shortly,” which the deputation took to mean a week or two.

Members of the deputation, introduced by Mr Kirk as local member of Parliament, were Mr Collett, Dr. N. D. Walker, Cr. W. S. Tredennick, and Mrs J. Q. Welsford.

“Mr Collett may rest assured that any recommendation to the Minister would be left to other members of the Hospitals Advisory Council and that I would take no positive part in deliberations. This is exactly what I did in the case of the Amuri Hospital.”