Board to make offer on Queen Mary Hospital

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32849, 24 February 1972, Page 3

Board to make offer on Queen Mary Hospital

An offer to take over the Queen Mary Hospital at Hanmer Springs will be made bv the North Canterbury Hospital Board subject to certain conditions, it was decided after considerable discussion at a meeting of the board yesterday.

The move for the board to take positive action rather than wait for the Government to make proposals was led by Mrs L. C. Gardiner, who said it was time for the “period of indecision and stalemate to end.” Mrs Gardiner agreed with a report made bv the institu- . tions committee after a meetI ing with senior Health Department officials and a visit to the hospital last month that they were impressed with the buildings and facilities, the progressive attitude of the staff and the quality of treatment and facilities compared with other units. The institutions committee recommended that it should be asked by the Government to make a survey of the hos- * pital before the board was asked to take over the man- ‘ agement of the hospital. ' Mrs Gardiner sought to ; amend this recommendation . bv moving “that the board write to the Government ' offering to take over the hos- ‘ pital.” All the board members who had investigated the ! need for the hospital at Hanmer Springs were convinced that there was a need, said ' Mrs Gardiner. Staffing would 1 ; present problems but it was felt that these could be overcome. A lot of the present staffing difficulties were 1 caused by the indecision on 1 the fate of the hospital—this indecision had lasted now for : two years. COST PROBLEM Costs were another prob- 1 lem, said Mrs Gardiner. The; i hospital was an expensive . one but the figures had been 1 I inflated by many non-recur- ■ ring items such as a new roof . ; and flats for the staff. Also, j j the medical practice desig- . nated as a special area prac- ' tice was on the hospital allo- ■ cation. Mrs Gardiner said it should be noted that a hos- ' pital board had no authority or regulation for running 1 thermal pools but at would 1 be idle to suggest that the ' fate of the Queen Mary Hos- 1 pital and baths were not ’ linked. The continuing delay over 1 the fate of the hospital was 1 idoing no good to the hospi-; 1 'tai, the pool, or the town,? ;said Mrs Gardiner. ' “I think the hospital j 1 should remain open. I think! l

we can staff it and I think costs can be met,” she said. Mrs P. M. Zeff said she strongly supported Mrs Gardiner. The period of indecision had gone on too long. “It would have been to our financial advantage had the Government said to go ahead and do this. Let’s give it a try,” she said. Mrs K. Tapara said she agreed with the earlier speakers and she was glad that the public could be advised on the board’s clear attitude in the matter. GOVT “HUMBUG” Support was also given by Mrs M. McG. Clark, who said that “Government humbug on the matter had lasted for two years.” It was five weeks since board members had visited the hospital and she felt that it should be able to make a decision, and that the Minister of Health should be asked to “act with a bit more responsibilitv towards the people he serves.” Mr H. A. Clark moved as an amendment “that the Government immediately institute a national survey on the treatment needs for alcoholism with a special reference to a need for a South Island centre.” A decision on the hospital needed to be based on logic and reason—not emotion, said Mr Clark. There was no evidence that Hamner Springs was better than any other place for the treatment of alcoholism and it had to be admitted that there was some [degree of professional isolai tionism. “What we should really be gunning the Government i about is its absolute failure

to develop regional clinics for the treatment of alcoholism,” said Mr Clark. He said his remarks should in no way be construed as a criticism of the hospital or its staff. Mrs M. D. Jackson said she was in favour of taking over the hospital and she would like to see it developed as a national alcoholism centre. She also favoured using it as a short-term rehabilitation centre for arthritic sufferers and severe road and inindustrial accident victims. Mrs W. S. Mac Gibbon said she was greatly in favour of keeping the hospital open but she was not in favour of making the first move. She said the board was not in a position financially to take it over and she reminded members that they were still personally liable for overexpenditure. SURVEY NECESSARY Dr Averill said it was very ! dangerous for a board of lay members to say they should take over a hospital as it was ! then up to the medical super- , intendent and matron to staff i it and carry the responsibil- ; ity. He said that a survey would , have to be made, particularly ’ as far as nursing staff was ; concerned. i When asked if she still . wanted to pursue her amendment Mrs Gardiner said she had not moved it lightly and , had given it a great deal of . thought She had heard the , opinions of the medical staff ! and it appeared to her that . they thought that the pro- [ posal was reasonable. If they , did not agree they could say : so. Dr Averill said the board i did not want to rush at any-; . things; make a decision and i ' then have to recant. Mrs Gardiner then agreed . to her amendment being put . with the proviso “subject to , a prior survey by the board I and subject to satisfactory ' financial arrangements.” This was carried with no dissentj ing voices. Mr Clark’s motion was carI ried as an additional motion. 1 Esperanto officers.— Officers ■ elected at the annual meet- > ing of the Christchurch Es- • peranto Society were: Presi- • dent, Mr W. Harding; secret- • ary, Mr F. Swift, vice presi- > dents, Messrs D. Dewar, D. • Langman; publicity officer, Mrs M. Ritchie; committee, > Miss E. Ockenden, Mesdames t D. Tague, L. Bruce, Messrs P. ■ Jordan, C. Brown.