Hospital staff ‘more efficient’

Press, 31 May 1984, Page 5

Hospital staff ‘more efficient’

Canterbury Hospital Board staff had become more efficient during 1983, the board’s annual meeting was told yesterday. The director of finance, Mr D. B. Herman, said that it was difficult to quantify the figure but estimated staff had become 1 per cent more efficient. The chief executive, Mr R. I. Parker, also said that staff had become more efficient. Although waiting lists were the longest in at least 10 years, more people were having surgery. In 1973, the waiting list was 21.3 per cent of surgical admissions. Last year the figure dropped to 19.3 per cent. At March 31, 4143 people were on waiting lists for

admission to Burwood, Christchurch, Christchurch Women’s, and The Princess Margaret hospitals. The longest waiting list was for orthopaedic surgery. The number of people waiting increased from 651 last year to 912. Most people .had to wait up to one year before being admitted for orthopaedic surgery, but 4.6 per cent had to wait more than two years. People waiting for ear, nose and throat, urology, and plastic surgery were also having to wait longer. The second-largest waiting list was for gynaecological surgery. A total of 803 people were on the list, but this had decreased from 951 in 1983.