HOSPITAL REFORM

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 180, 28 April 1931, Page 11

HOSPITAL REFORM

Dr. Campbell Begg’s Campaign WRONG IDEAS CORRECTED Anxious that electors should not misconstrue the objects of the campaign being conducted for hospital reform, Dr. Campbell Begg, in an address at Wadestown last evening, dealt with false impressions which had been evident in the minds of two people to whom he had spoken on successive days. The first had thought that Dr. Wilson and the speaker must be very unpopular with the rest of the profession through their criticism of hospital work, and the second considered the campaign to be the thin edge of the wedge to enable the British Medical Association to gain control of the hospitals. With regard to the second man’s opinion, Dr. Begg mentioned the address which he had given to the Civic League some time ago dealing with hospital administration and the changes he thought were necessary to reduce costs and provide better service. The address had been published in extenso and could leave no doubt that medical control was not aimed at. It left the whole power to frame policy in the hands of the board and the management of intimate routine affairs to a committee appointed from its members. It removed, however, from the medical superintendent his role as sole effective advisory officer and placed it with a board representing the best professional personnel The superintendent would be left free to carry out his proper function and the hands of the board would be considerably strengthened- in the curtailment of expenditure. Opposed to,Medical Control. “The British Medical Association, has no connection whatever with the policy now put forward for tbe control of the Wellington Hospital,” said Dr. Begg, “nor has any responsible body, so far as I am aware, advocated it. Personally I am absolutely opposed to medical control of hospitals, and I know in the whole world no hospitals, except privately-owned ones tfiat are so controlled. At the same time many well-conducted hospitals _ endeavour to have on their board of directors one or two medical men of standing, and all work in the closest co-operation with a small group of men representing the most advanced and considered medical opinion. “In regard to the basis of our policy being considered an attack on the medical officers or nurses in the hospital, it is difficult to understand how anyone could gain this point of view,” the speaker continued. “We are fighting for an organisation, which will give the medical staff a reasonable chance to exert their skill, instead of working with one hand tied as at present. I believe the profession, who have the best opportunity of judging, is almost to a man behind any such scheme of reform.” Status of Nursing Profession. Dr. Begg spent some time discussing the status of the nursing profession, and said that one of the chief planks of the platform they would endeavour to carry through, if elected, would be the giving of increased status to the senior members of the nursing profession engaged in the hospital. The key pin of a hospital as it affected the patient was the. ward sister. On her depended in great measure the proper care of the individual patient and the proper practical training of the nurse. “We are endeavouring to give the nursing profession a chance to work under conditions which will give it freedom and scope of action, and I think I may safely say that the nurses are behind us,” said Dr. Begg. CITY LOAN - CHARGES Reply to Mr. Luckie Speaking at Kelburn last evening, Mr. J. D. Sievwright, a . Wellington Ratepayers’ candidate, for the City Council, said that Mr. Martin Luckie had repeated the blunder he had previously made when he said that three-fifths of the total rate revenue —namely, £320,000 —-was. required to pay interest on “dead-weight” loans.. ' . Mr. Sievwright said that Mr. Luckie was entirely wrong in that statement. “If Mr. Luckie had only paused to think he would never have repeated this blunder. At 5 per cent., £320,000 would pay interest on £6,400,000. Mr. Luckie has been eighteen years on the City Council and he does not know the ‘A.B.C? of the City Council’s finance. He ought to know that the electricity, the tramways and the milk departments have paid their own interest and charges out of their own revenue. . “Not one of these departments is* a charge upon the rates unless it be the tramways in conjunction with the buses,” Mr. Sievwright continued. “All the money borrowed to establish these departments amounts to something over £3,000,000 and the ‘dead-weight’ loans have advanced to fully £2,500,000. The interest on these loans was, in 1929-30; £77,000, but at March 31, 1931, the interest payable on the ‘dead-weight’ loans was £133,000. an increase of £60,000, equal to a ‘dead-weight’ increase of debt at 5 per cent, of £1,200,000. Mr. Luckie is out in his figure, £187,000. “Mr. Luckie is not only wrong in that particular,” said Mr. Sievwright, “but when he says that £320,000 is required to pay the ‘dead-weight’ loan interest he is stating not only what is a shocking blunder on the face of it, but he is giving a figure—namely, £320/100 —which is £25.000 more than the total interest on all loans, ‘dead-weight’ or general and trading loans combined. The total interest paid on all these loans for the year ending March 31, 1931, was £295,000. LABOUR CANDIDATES Meeting at Hataitai ■ . \ Speaking at Hataitai last evening, Councillor R. McKeen, M.P., Labour candidate for the City Council, referred to eastern and western access, and said he deplored the action of the Ratepayers Association toward these two routes. The council had definitely'decided to lay tram tracks through the tunnel and also via the Bowen Street route, declared Mr. McKeen, and the money was available to do the job, and but for the action of the Ratepayers’ Association this work would now be progressing toward completion. Apart from the time saved in travelling by the suburban residents, continued the speaker, the annual saving in maintenance costs alone justified the early completion of both routes. Another matter which required the urgent attention of the new council, continued the speaker, was ,a complete and definite change of policy regarding the running of buses and trams. For six years as a member, of the tramway committee he. had advocated such a change in the direction of using the buses exclusively as a feeder service; also initiating transfer tickets and permitting “overlapping section travelling. If this policy were adopted, said Mr. McKeen, he felt satisfied the losses now sustained on the buses could bo reduced, if not entirely eliminated, by the end of the year. RATEPAYERS’ TICKET Candidates for the municipal elections endorsed by the Wellington Ratepayers Association addressed meetings in the Methodist Schoolroom, Northland, and in the Training College Hall, Kilburn, last 1 evening.