Gloomy discussion on Hamner hospital

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 11

Gloomy discussion on Hamner hospital

The North Canterbury Hospital Board is wondering if the Government is deliberately delaying a decision on the future of Queen Mary Hospital, to force it out of existence by default.

At their meeting on Wednesday, discussing the Government’s failure to decide on what would become of the hospital, several board members said they held out little hope for its survival. The medical superintend-ent-in-chief (Dr L. McH, Berry) said that the Govern-ment-was using “stalling tactics,” which would lead to the hospital’s closing. Mr L. A. Bennett said he felt that the hospital would close itself. The uncertainty engendered in the minds of the staff by the Government’s failure to determine the hospital’s fate would lead them to depart, and force a decision.

One board member said : that the board was entitled to know what the Government was going to do about Queen Mary. Hospital. It would be a great loss to New Zealand if it were closed, said Mrs L. C. Gardiner. The secretary (Mr J. G. Laurenson) said he had not received any information about Queen Mary. Mr J. B. Hay gave warning that if the board allowed Queen Mary to be “left out on a limb” it would be easy for the Government to “chop it off.” Mrs Gardiner moved that the future of the hospital be discussed at the next meeting of the institutions committee. The board agreed to this.