TWO 300-BED BLOCKS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 6

TWO 300-BED BLOCKS

Plans For Wellington Hospital CENTRALISING TREATMENT The Wellington Hospital Board lias decided that plans be developed for two 300-bed blocks, the first section of the programme to consist of a 300bed unit allowing for 100 acute, 100 children and 40 orthopaedics, together with a new kitchen service, bulk stores and boiler-house. The decision was reached after the meeting of the building sub-committee with Mr. A. G. Stephenson, consultant architect, of Melbourne, and Mr. V. P. Haughton,' architect', of Wellington. The board gave its approval last night t< the development of the plans. The chairman (Mr. F. Castle) said Messrs. Stephenson and Haughton would be associated as architects and be jointly- responsible. In communications to both architects the board stated it anticipated they would submit plans and draft reports as soon as conveniently possible. The board would be pleased to receive recommendations for improving the existing services in the direction that all acute cases might be treated at near the centre of the hospital as possible. As it was necessary to obtain borrowing authority from the Department of Health, it would be consulted in connection with the various proposals, as considered advisable. Earlier in the meeting a letter was read from the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) criticising the board’s recent arrangement for Mr. Stephenson’s visit. ~ The director-general stated that it appeared to him that such an arrangement should have been left entirely to the board’s architects, whose scale of remuneration was ordinarily deemed to cover the cost of professional consultations of a general nature. The chairman said the matter was within the board’s power to handle. The letter was received.