PART-TIME DOCTORS’ SALARIES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 128, 23 February 1939, Page 13

PART-TIME DOCTORS’ SALARIES

Less Than Junior Nurses POSITION IN MASTERTON HOSPITAL Dominion Special Service. MASTERTON. February 22. It w as ridiculous that a doctor should receive a salary less than that of a Jinnw nurse, said the chairman, Mr. 11. H. Mitwley when the Wairarapa Hospital Board at its meeting today diseased a report submitted by the recently appointed medical superintendent of Masterton Dr T L. Parr. Dr. I’arr suggested that two senior and two junior part-time medical men be appointed to co-operate vith the resident full-time staff. . Mr Mawley said that m comparison with other hospitals the board was paying a very small fee to its honorary staff, Ifie doctors considered that they were the on y people connected with the hospital wl o were not paid in proportion to work done. Personally, Mr. Mawley added, he could not find a flaw in the doctors’ argument He could say what the doctors ideai ot salary was, but he did not want to irignteDThe doctors had been doing their work for nothing—that was what it really amounted to. It cost £28,000 a year to run Masterton Hospital and the doctors contended that a few more hundred pounds a year would not make much dnference to the rates. Mr. Mawley said it was his opinion that the proposed change would increase the hospital's efficiency, reduce the number of patients and poesibly obviate the necessity of additional buildings. . . Mr. J. F. Thompson : There is no doubt the doctors have been woefully underpaid in the past. . The chairman, the managing secietary, Mr. N. Lee, and Dr. Parr were appointed a committee to discuss the question of part-time medical officers’ salaries With the Health Department. They will report back to the finance committee, which was given power if necessary to interview further the local doctors. . “It is rather a knotty problem, said Mr. Mawley. "