OUT-PATIENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1213, 23 August 1911, Page 6

OUT-PATIENTS.

« ATTENDANCE INCREASING; FEES DIMINISHING. MEDICAL rOOR RELIEF. As showing (ho increase in the attendances at the out-patients' department of the Wellington Hospital, it was reported at the monthly meeting of the hoard yesterday that the number of out-patients had risen from 2017 (with 8807 attendances) in the 1907-8 periud to 5102 (with 17,325 attendances), in the period' 1910-11. It is to bo noted, however, that although the number of out-patients has more than doubled during the interval slated, the fees received have only increased from .£330 15s. iu 1907-8 lo .£372 7s. Gd. in 1910-11, less, in fact, than the amount received in 190S-9 from the 3970 out-pationts who wore treated at the hospital, and who paid foes totalling .£412 12s. Cd. Referring to these figures, Mr. R. C. Kirk, chairman of the Hospital Committee of-the board, drew attention to the inadequacy of the present waitins-room accommodation at the out-patients' department. He moved:— That as the out-patients' building has out-grown present requirements, it. be utilised for "chest diseases" and "dental" branches.of Iho out-patients' department, and that the hospital committee bo empowered to obtain -sketch plans and estimate; for a suitable building foi tho ordinary out-patients' department, on the western side of the main hospital, upon land now occupied by three, old cottages of small value. Further, that in the meantime urgent improvements to the existing accommodation be left to tho chairman and Dr. Hardwick Smith to give effect to. Tho motion was agreed to, the name of the chairman of tho board (the Rev. \V. A. Evans) being added to the commit- 1 tee. At a subsequent stage if tho proceedings, Mr. B. R. Gardener, reverting to the statistics of the out-patients' department, suggested that the figures disclosed a looseness of supervision somewhere. In 1907-8 the fees from tho out-palients had averaged 9d. per head; in 190S-9, this average had dropped to 6Jd.; it was now SJd.'per head. He was afraid that the board was being imposed upon, and suggested that there were plenty of people wlso were quite capable of disguising themselves in tho habiliments of the poor in ordeT that they might get cheap medical attendance. Mr. Kirk admitted that there might be some justification for .Mr. Gardener's criticisms, and added, with a toucli of sarcasm, that the .committee would take, tunc to consider ways and means of screwing a little more nionev out of these poor unfortunate people. Ono of tho factors which had contributed to the incrcass in tho number of out-patients was the circumstance that the doctors ' were now sending all their pocr patients to the hospital, which was rather a compliment to the institution. The dispensation of medical a»id to the poor, however, had now oume largely within tho special province i tl ' c oa . rd 'n its dual capacity as a charitable institution, as the local authority supervising the public health of the community.