Board rejects private hospital surgery claim

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 6

Board rejects private hospital surgery claim

An allegation that patients were being pressured to undergo surgery in private hospitals because of the waiting lists for surgery in public hospitals was rejected by the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday. The allegation was made bv a board member, Mrs Mollie Clark, at a board meeting on November 21 last year. She said that patients were apparently being directed towards private hospitals for urgent surgery when such surgery should be available at public hospitals. Complaints by two patients had prompted her move. Mrs Clark’s allegation was' investigated by a divisional disciplinary committee of the Medical Association, chaired by the board’s chairman of surgical services (Mr J. W. Ardagh). The findings of this committee were reported to the board yesterday by another board member, Dr W. J. Pryor, who is also president of the Medical Association. Dr Pryor said that the committee’s investigations

had shown that Mrs Clark’s allegations were groundless. One complaint had come from an anonymous patient about any anonymous surgeon, and could not be investigated. In the other case, the patient and doctor were both interviewed and no ground was found for the complaint. Dr Pryor said.

Mrs Clark said that she accepted the committee’s decision, but she was still concerned that the medical profession appeared to be “judge and jury” in such cases. The complaints emphasised the desirability of having a completely independent inquiry system, she said. People in continuing need of hospital care were often reluctant to divulge names when they wished to make a complaint.

Mrs Clark commended a board decision to investigate the feasibility of preparing a leaflet on hospital services and bed availability for patients. This, she said, would promote better lines of communication between the hospital and the community.