Ward staying open

Press, 16 October 1976, Page 2

Ward staying open

Speculation abbut the; eventual closing of Calvary Hospital’s maternity department should now-end, hospi-l tai officials said yesterday. The private hospital's first i house manager {Mr M. J.I Woodward) said .'there was no longer any ipiestion of closing the 15-bed depart-] ment, even though there' might "still be' financial: losses on maternity services. , Mr Woodward said the hospital hoped to average: between 50 and 54 births a! month during peak periods. > No staffing changes were'

(expected now to help hold costs. Rising costs had (threatened the maternity service, which has been offered since 1940.

The reaction of the public I against the possible closing icaused the hospital to look I again at the possibility of I keeping open the maternity department.

Mr Woodward said the deficit in the maternity department this year should not be more than. $lO,OOO. He was reluctant to compare that expected loss with those in previous years, because the accounting system had changed. I “The aim is to put us as i close to the break-even point las possible,” he said. “We i accept the fact that some departments may not break even." He said'the hospital hoped] Ito restore confidence in the maternity department by.

I ensuring that it would stay open.

“We can definitely keep 'going, provided we have (support from the doctors,” 'he added.

; Calvary Hospital will also I stop an experimental system of charging a single-fee rate for the entire cost of a mother’s confinement. That was introduced in June, “and has now proved to be unacceptable to both patients and the hospital,” a statement said.

The previous system of daily rates, plus theatre fees, will resume fro'hi November 1. Daily rates will be higher than in June, but in line with price regulations. They will correspond to i increments in the single-fee experiment, which was an I attempt to help solve the I financial problems caused mainly by wages and inflation.