Hospital Board unhappy about dispute

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 12

Hospital Board unhappy about dispute

Dissatisfaction with the position hospital boards were in regarding the dispute over shifts and rosters at mental hospitals was expressed at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday.

The mental health institutions transfer committee reported that negotiations between the Government and the Public Service Association were apparently at a standstill. Since August 21 nursing staff at Sunnyside and Templeton hospitals had been working an unofficial shifts and rosters system The board is in the unsatisfactory position of having to endeavour to marry the demands of the P.S.A., the limitations imposed by the Department of Health, and the patient needs of the hospitals concerned without being able to play any positive part in negotiations for a settlement of the dispute,” the committee reported. The institutions committee reported that student nurses at Sunnyside Hospital had been concerned because since the P.S.A. roster had been worked they were not achieving the number of hours required to enable them to sit their final examinations on the due date.

The student nurses held a meeting to discuss the matter and proposed to have a discussion with the principal nursing officer at the hospital.

The P.S.A. protested that it was the only body authorised to negotiate such matters on behalf of mental hospital nursing staff. The P.S.A. was informed that any nursing staff at any of the board’s institutions had the right to consult the matron or principal nursing officer of their hospital on any matter affecting their work, and the board would not tolerate any interference with this right. Helicopter pad A medical staff sub-com-mittee recommendation that a helicopter landing pad be incorporated in the board’s present building programme was received by the board, which agreed to initiate discussions with the organisations likely to be involved in such a project. The sub-committee was set up to consider the casualty evacuation of Christchurch Hospital by helicopter and it concluded that: “A flying ambulance service is inevitable; all future hospitals will have to incorporate helipads; a 24-hour resuscitation team roster will be necessary.”

Mrs K. Tapara asked if the casualty department at.

Christchurch Hospital was going to be able to cope with extra demands that might be made on it during the 1974 Commonwealth Games. The medical superinten-dent-in-chief (Dr L. McH. Berry) said that competitors would have virtually their own hospital services at the Games village. All that could be done about the visitors to Christchurch was to encourage them to go to private doctors. If they decided to go to the casualty department it would be placed under a heavy strain to deal with them. He pointed out that all visitors from any country except the United Kingdom would not be entitled to free medical services, but it would be free for competitors.

The number of occupied beds at Sunnyside Hospital had dropped this week to below 800 for the first time since 1920, Mr H. A. Clark said. This number did not include patients in group homes or those who were out of hospital but still under some form of supervision. The reduction in bed occupancy was a result of good work by the staff, said Mr Clark. It did not mean that there was any lessening of the demand for more staff. Dr Berry said the reduction was a result of more intensive treatment which reflected great credit on the staff. The over-all number of admissions had actually increased.