‘Severe strains’ on hospital department

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32540, 25 February 1971, Page 16

‘Severe strains’ on hospital department

Severe strains were being placed on the staff of the accident and emergency department of Christchurch Hospital, and it might be that a few more straws would break the camel’s back, the medical superintendent-in-chief of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr L. McH. Berry) said at a meeting of the board yesterday.

The work had greatly increased, more than 5000 cases being seen in January, said Dr Berry. The answer was either fewer patients or more staff.

More staff for 1972 would be asked for, but financial considerations would probably override the needs of patients. The board had no staff it could put on and no money to pay for more staff. The work would increase and waiting times which had increased would get longer still, said Dr Berry. He said he hoped that the public realised that because of financial stringencies the service that could be provided was not as good as the board would like it to be. There was always the risk that the wrong patients would be kept waiting, although the staff did their best to deal with the most urgent cases first, but with the pressure that was being applied something could go wrong. Wherever possible persons should go to their general practitioner for treatment, said Dr Berry. It was thought that a shortage of general practitioners in Christchurch during January was part of the cause of the large number attending the hospital, but since January it had been found that numbers were still high and only a very small proportion were general practitioner cases. 50 PER CENT INCREASE Since 1964 there had been a 50 per cent increase in numbers attending the accident emergency department but in that time there had been an increase of only one ; on the staff and a better ros-1 ter system. i

The types of cases did not vary very much, said Dr Berry. There were at least 146 road accident cases in January and even in the first 17 days of this month there had been 130 cases. There were 20 to 30 cases a week of overdoses iand poisonings, both accidental and intentional. Such cases took up a great deal of time. On one day recently there had been 46 cases of lacerations needing stitching. In the group which for some clinical reason had blood samples taken to determine the alcohol content 75 per cent had an alcohol level well above the legal limit allowed for driving, said Dr Berry. A startling number of accident victims had an unacceptable level of alcohol in their blood. The chairman (Dr L. G. L. Averill) said the board had not been plagued with serious staff shortages as had some other areas, but he was glad the matter had been brought out because it was obvious that staff for the accident and emergency department would have to be increased. The matter would be referred to the institutions committee to take up with the Department of Health. ALLOCATION EXCEEDED

During a discussion of the finance committee’s report Dr Averill said there was no doubt that the board would not be able to balance its budget this financial year. The board was loath to reduce its services to the public. The subject would be taken up with the department in March. Finance and staffing problems were again discussed when a request for four more ambulance drivers made by the St John Ambulance Association was considered. The

board had earlier approved in Krinciple of three drivers, but ad asked the association to take only two at this stage and another two would be considered later.

The association replied saying it felt justified in adhering to its original request. Mr C. F. Whitty, the board’s ambulance representative, said the association had a serious problem, and it was obvious that extra drivers were needed.

The chairman of the finance committee (Mr H. O. Hills) said the best that could be done was to provide two more drivers. Mr L. A. Bennett said the time was about to come when the transport of patients would have to be part of a national service and not the responsibility of hospital boards. A finance committee’s recommendation that the chairman’s honorarium be increased on April 1 to $2OOO a year in accordance with the scale laid down by the Department of Health was referred back to the committee at the request of Dr Averill, who said he did not think any change should be made at present.