HOSPITAL YEAR

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 14

HOSPITAL YEAR

Superintendent’s Review FEWER PATIENTS Hospital work in Wellington during the past twelve months was reviewed by Dr. H. Bayldon Ewen, medical superintendent, when 1 he presented his annual report to the Hospital Board yesterdaj. A slight decrease in the number ot patients ‘treated is revealed in the report, which shows that the maintenance oost, apart from charitable aid, decreased by £10,339, and although the charitable aid bill rose by £9875, the balance remained on the right side by £464. In-patents have be m treated at the hospital during the past five years as follow :— Year ended March 31, 1927 .. J96S Year ended March 31, 1928 .. <6JB Year endeel March 31, 1929 .. 83.14 Year ended March 31, 1930 ... 831 o Year ended March 31, 1931 .. <970 The falling-off in numbers is accounted for by the marked decrease in the number of cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria. The average number of beds occupied per day was 566.66 in 1930-31 as against 573 in the previous period. Chronic Cases Increasing. “The average days’ stay of all patients in the institution has increased from 25.07 to 27.89,” continues the report. “Several factors have to be considered in relation to this matter. Bor example, the number of chronic cases is steadily increasing—there are now, to take one instance, some 95 cases of chronic tuberculosis as against 65 cases 12 months ago. The number of longstanding fractures and physiotherapeutic cases is steadily increasing. “During the year it was decided to do as much of the investigation work as possible in the out-patient department. This means that a number of patients who would, under the old conditions, have been admitted to the wards for a night or two are no longer treated as in-patients. The reduction in the number of short-term patients has the effect of increasing the average days’ stay. “In the active adult wards there are always a number of chronic patients who could be treated at less cost in a chronic hospital were oue available for them. If these could be excluded from the returns the average days’ stay in these wards would be considerably less than 18.8.” More Operations. The rate of mortality for all cases treated was 4.77, which was 0.01 less than in the previous year! Operations performed totalled 3830, an increase of 35 over 1929-30, but a sharp drop is shown in the operation mortality rate, which has fallen from 2.26 to 1.46 per cent. Beds have increased "by 245 during the year, the institution now having 824, which are distributed ns follow: —Main Hospital 402, Children’s Hospital 127, Victoria Hospital 56, Ewart Hospital 94, Fever Hospital 80, Diphtheria Isolation Block 46, McCarthy Convalescent Home 19. The out-patients’ department treated 19,310 patient's during the past twelve months, 1723 fewer than in 1929-30. Maintenance Costs. “The gross maintenance cost of . the hospital, apart from charitable aid, has shown this year a decrease of £3753, and the total receipts apart from levies and subsidies lias increased by £6586,” Dr. Ewen says. “Thus the net maintenance cost, apart from charitable aid, has decreased by £10,339. “The cost of charitable aiil lias increased by £9875. From the figures for the past three years it will be seen that, notwithstanding the. abnormal increase in the cost of charitable aid, the total net maintenance cost of the institution has again fallen below that of the previous year.” The position is summarised in the following table: —

During the greater part of the year one wing of the fever hospital was occupied by tuberculosis eases while the alterations were being made to the Ewart Hospital. Fortunately there has been very little scarlet fever throughout the year, the average number under treatment being about 25. There was also a considerable reduction in the number of cases of diphtheria entering the diphtheria isolation block, the average number under treatment being about half that of the previous year.■

1030-31. £ 1929-30. £ lies-29. £ Gross mainte nance cost, excluding charitable aiil 161,734 105,487 164,041 Receipts .... 54.250 47,604 44,338 Net maintenance cost, excluding charitable aid 107,484 117,823 120.303 Cost of Charitable aid .... 39,422 29,517 28,559 Net maintenance cost including charitable aid 116,901; 147,370 118,826 Infectious Diseases.