MEDICAL STAFFING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 150, 20 March 1936, Page 18

MEDICAL STAFFING

Part-time Paid Basis For * Wellington Hospital SCHEME DISCUSSED The opinion that in view of the policy of the Wellington. Hospital Board and of the approaching introduction by the Government of a national health insurance service, tlie time has arrived when the medical staffing of the hospital should be on a part-time paid basis, has been expressed by the’ anedieal staff of tlie hospital. The subject was considered in committee at a meeting of tlie board, at which members of the medical staff attended. ..The chairman, Mr. F, Castle, told ’’The Dominion" yesterday that the following letter from Dr. T, D. M. Stout, ehilirmun of the staff, had provided a basis for the discussion :—

••Ab requested by the board, I wish to submit a scheme of staffing approved by both the honorary and stipendiary members of the present medical staff of the hospital. •’The staff considers that iu view of the policy of the board, and. especially in view ot the approaching introduction by the Govei'timeut of a national health insurance service, the time baa arrived when the staffing of the hospital should be ou a part-time basis.. We consider that the hospital will be able in this way to retain a senior medical staff suited to the needs of a large metropolitan hospital, capable of rendering every service to the community, and also of taking part iu the training of future medical practitioners. "If the board decides to continue the honorary staff till the introduction of the <:oti tern plated national insurance scheme, the staff feels that the staff should not be reduced to the numbers as outlined under a system of part-time paid staff. The staff will be pleased to discuss the matter with the board if desired.” Scheme Outlined. The scheme suggested for staffing on a paid basis was as follows:— Medical. —General physicians, 2 senior, 2 assistants; children’s. 1 senior, 1 assistant ; fever, I assistant; neurological, 1 (outpatients) ; syphilology, 1 (outpatients) ; tuberculosis (arranged) ; cardiology, 1 assistant; dermatology, 1 assistant. Surgical.—-General, 5 seniors, o assistants; orthopaed, 1 senior, 1 assistant; urological. 1 senior, 2 assistants (including outpatients). Oto-rhino-laTyngology.—2 senior. 2 assistants. 1 (refractionist) (outpatients). Anaesthetists!.—2 senior, 2 assistants. Pathological. X-ray, and radium, as already arranged. Mr. Castle said that public hospitals were open to ail, and there appeared to be an incompatibility in having honorary service on the one hand and. on the other, unrestricted admission of all persons for treatment by honorary practitioners. Burden on the Profession. The development of hospital policy in New Zealand had made the position more and more anomalous, and an unfair burden on tho profession, Dr. Stout, said. There were several other means of stuffing the hospital, but there were two quite distinct methods which should be carefully studied and compared. There was the so-called closed hospital staffed by full-time stipendiary officers, and there was the so-called open method of staffing where the staff was essentially a visiting staff. It was the opinion of medical authorities throughout the world that the open method of staffing was incomparably the better method both for the hospital itself, but particularly for the community iu general. Mr. Castle said that a further conference with the medical staff would I be ueccssary.' ;