Single Taranaki Hospital Board

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 20

Single Taranaki Hospital Board

Reorganisation of the hospital boards of Taranaki to create a single board to be known as the Taranaki board is recommended in a report to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) by a retired Magistrate, Mr L. G. H. Sinclair.

On hospital board amalgamation in the area, the report says that a single board would be “in the interests of patient and publie welfare, and the future sound development of efficient hospital services.” The new Taranaki board recommended would take over the functions of the present Taranaki board and of the Stratford and Hawera boards, with headquarters at New Plymouth.

The report also recommended that the Patea Hospital district should not be included in the reorganisation, but that a new hospital board should be formed to encompass the Wanganui and Patea Hospital districts. Committees of management are recommended and these would be appointed under section 58 of the Hospitals Act, 1957. in respect of the hospital districts of Stratford, Hawera and Patea.

It is suggested that the new Taranaki board should cause a medical services committee of a medical advisory committee to be formed to advise the board on the medical aspects of the hospital services in the whole area. The hospital advisory council will meet on July 17 to discuss and make its recommendation on the Sinclair report The Minister of Health (Mr

McKay) said the report had been discussed by the Cabinet Extreme disappointment with the report had been expressed by the chairman of the Hawera Hospital Board (Mr T. Bromley). He said the board’s entire case against the amalgamation proposal had been almost completely ignored.