HOSPITAL BOARDS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 7, 3 October 1927, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARDS

SUB-EXECUTIVE MEETING

POSITION OF MATERNITY NURSES

The sub-executive of the Hospital Boards Association (Messrs. William Wallace, Auckland, C. Al. Luke, Wellington, and 11. J. Otley, Christchurch) concluded its meeting ou Friday. Following a letter from the Minister of Health on the subject, special consideration was given to the general conference recommendation concerning the maternity nurses and midwives’ qualifications.

DissatiSlaction has been expressed by boards since the introduction of the lower maternity nurse qualification with its modified course of training provided for women desiring to work only under the supervision of a doctor. It is considered to ignore the commonly-experi-enced difficulty in arranging for professional medical supervision in the country, and, in fact, in obtaining adequate supervision where it is arranged for

Concurrently with the introduction of the new qualification, the course of training for the higher midwifery qualification was lengthened, whilst the number of hospitals recognised as training schools for midwives was reduced very considerably. It was resolved to again strongly urge the readoption of a single recognised qualification for this branch of practical nursing, the course of training to be of a sufficiently high standard to permit of the nurse holding it being allowed to attend normal cases without a doctor. The committee decided to bring this matter specially before the Minister, as well as the question of the Nurses and Midwives Registration Board’s refusal to racognise, as a training school for midwives, the Wairau Hospital Board’s maternity home “Holmdale,” which h’ad for a number of years maintained an excellent record in affording this training. ■ Cordial appreciation was expressed of the amendments in the Customs tariff affecting drugs, chemicals, and other substances specially used in laboratory investigation and research. Whilst endorsing the introduction of greater and more uniform demarcation between British preferential and general tariff duties, the executive approved lepresentations which had been forwarded in regard to certain instruments and apparatus commonly used in hospitals. With reference to the Department’s request ter boards to accept the care in their old peoples’ homes of certain senile cases hitherto dealt with in other institutions, it was resolved to bring before the Director-General specific objections to the new policy and to advise hospital boards accordingly. Dr. M. T. MacEachern’s final report on the Dominion hospital system, which came to hand a few days ago, was laid on the table. It consists of close upon 300 quarto pages of typescript, with maps, diagrams, and index, the whole handsomely bound in limp morocco, gold lettered. The obviously comprehensive nature of the report, and the form in which it was submitted, occasioned admiring comment, and’ it was resolved to forward to Dr. MacEachern, on behalf of the association, an expression of highest appreciation and thanks. Further consideration was held over until members had Had an opportunity of studying the contents.