Parents to pay fee to hospital

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 2

Parents to pay fee to hospital

The Canterbury Hospital Board has decided to go ahead with policies to charge parents and relatives of patients at Christchurch Hospital a nightly fee if they want to stay there. Parents and relatives who have to live in for treatment reasons, however, will not be charged the $6 a night fee. The board yesterday apC roved a recommendation ) charge parents board, but decided not to apply a recommendation that parents of sick children who wished to get free accommodation would need the signature of a doctor saying they had to stay at the hospital for treatment reasons. This part of the proposal from the finance committee was referred back to the health services committee for further discussion. The board’s chairman, Mr Tom Grigg, said that the criteria for parents getting free accommodation were “better left a grey area” as was the definition of “treatment reasons.” He said the situation ought to be flexible, but the hospital could not set itself up as a hotel, either. Mrs June Gardiner said that most people would be aware thatfthe accommodation at Christchurch Hospital was better than ail other boards in New Zealand. Parents would be charged accommodation fees if they were staying in the wards with their children or in the nearby hostel. All parents would be charged $4 a day for meals. Patients at Burwood Hospital will benefit from the sale of the old Essex Hospital. About $38,450 from the proceeds of the hospital’s sale will be spent on equipment and redecoration of some parts of Burwood Hospital. Christchurch Women’s Hospital will also benefit from the sale, with the purchase of a $10,655 ultrasound unit.