Hospital Medical Social Work Commended

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31770, 29 August 1968, Page 6

Hospital Medical Social Work Commended

Although justification for spending more than $43,000 on the medical social work department in Christchurch was questioned by one member, Mr V. J. Corbett, other North Canterbury Hospital Board members praised the work being done and said it was essential and worth while, at yesterday’s board meeting.

Mr Corbett questioned a report which stated that a full review indicated that the cost of the department was well justified by the work performed and the effect on hospital admissions. He said he was not satisfied that the expenditure of more than $43,000 a year was justified. One officer saw only two patients a day. He was, however, interested to see that a review of expenditure would be made again. Miss B. Webb said social work took a great deal of time. If people were in trouble, social workers had to sit and listen. “Thank goodness we have this department available to give this sort of help that is badly needed,” she said. Support also came from Mr F. W. Gilbert who said that

the fact that only two persons were seen a day should not be used as a yardstick.

The mental welfare of patient* and relatives was a benefit which it was difficult to count in monetary terms, said the medical superintend-ent-in-chief (Dr L. M. Berry) One authority outed that a 500-bed general hospital should have four full-time social workers working on psychiatric referrals. On this basis Christchurch Hospital was grossly under-sUffed. “If we were to ask inpatients and outpatients about the worth Of this department I am sure they would say the money H well spent,” Dr Berry said. Mrs R. M. Macfarlane said perhaps Mr Corbett had

wanted the department atreamlined, but she knew of several people who had gained great benefit from the department

“I was concerned about some over-lapping somewhere, and felt that the report did not substantiate the claim made,”. Mr Corbett said.

The board approved a social Survey of hospital admissions and it was reported that the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation had given a grant of $2OO for this. A former medical social worker will carry this out, and information will be processed by computer at the office of the public health statistician.