BOARDS AWAITING DETAILS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 224, 20 June 1939, Page 10

BOARDS AWAITING DETAILS

Position Described As Chaotic OUT-PATIENTS’ POSITION DISCUSSED Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND. .June 19. With less than a fortnight to pass before free hospital benefits become available under the Social Security Act. hospital boards are still awaiting details of the scheme which they are to operate. The position was described today as chaotic and it was considered that, it lhe system is lo be (iraslietiiiy changed by .fitly 1, it is essential that specific details’of the proposals should be the subject of an immediate announcement. It lias been stated that hospital boards are to receive 6/- a day for each in-patient and. in the somewhat unlikely event of costs being maintained at the present level, this would represent a gain in the ease of the Auckland institution. Taking all in-patients into account, between 5/3 and 5/6 a day is now actually collected, this figure including patients from other hospital districts and compensation cases., both of which are paid in full. Fees incurred by patients in those two categories will remain on the same basis and, as a result, it is considered likely that the return to the board may be about 6/3 a day. At present hospital finance is derived from three sources: Revenue from collected fees, the levy on contributing local bodies, and the Government subsidy. Payment of tlie subsidy is governed by a section of tlie Hospitals and Charitable institutions Act, and. as there lias been no suggestion of legislation being amended, it is assumed that it is intended to continue the Stale's contribution on tlie same basis. Will Costs Rise? If costs could be maintained at the present level it is thought' that the introduction of the scheme would not serve to increase tlie portion of hospital finance borne by ratepayers. However, it has been indicated that some form of payment should be made for services at present undertaken by honorary stalls, and this, coupled witli the extension of hospital activities to meet new conditions, would advance expenditure. While for some months past patients have been noticeably loth to pay fees in full on account of pending social security legislation. Auckland Hospital authorities have received no phenomenal number of bookings for admission after July 1. It was pointed out by the chairman. Mr. Allan J. Moody, that in any case (lie limited accommodation available at the institution could not cope with a sudden influx of patients. One point in the Minister's announcement that has caused some concern is (lie fact that for tlie time being outpatients do not come within tlie scope of the free treatment plan. It is believed that tliis phase of tile scheme cannot efficiently be undertaken till the introduction of the free general practitioner service. In tlie intervening period, people who would normally be regarded as out-patients may demand admission to hospital in order to obtain free service. . Careful Examination. It is a possibility that lias not been overlooked by hospital authorities, and Mr. Moody said that with the already overcrowded condition of the main institution careful examination of applications for admission would be necessary. In his statement on Saturday the Minister referred to a proposal that, in lhe ease of private hospitals and approved institutions, payment from the fund is to be applied in partial satisfaction of charges ordinarily payable. .Similarly maternity hospitals and private medical and surgical institutions may accept contracts to provide services under the scheme. So far. however. there has been no official move to issue contracts in Auckland. WOMEN’S MEETING Mr. Fraser’s Letter To Promoters ASSURANCE ACCEPTED A reply was forwarded yesterday by the Minisler of Health, Mr. Fraser, to Mrs. I). W. Swarbrick, Te Awamniu, in reply to the conveners of the meeting of women held recently lu Te Awamutii to discuss lhe Social Security Act, wlui had written to the Minister denying’his statement that Hie gathering was animated by political motives. His letter is as follows:— "I unhesitatingly accept your assurance that none of the promoters of tlie meeting have any connexion with any political party. This assurance would be doubly valuable a.s demonstrating an absence of political bins if it could be shown lhat. apat'l from any a.cimil party membership, affiliation. or association, tlie promoters were not personally political opponents of lhe Government, or, at least, that some among them were actual supporters of the Government and its general policy.

"While not for a moment questioning the good faith of your statement in regard to the promoters' knowledge of the Social Security Act. the maternity benefits regulations, and the draft contract, I am compelled to admit that 1 find if very dilliciill to reconcile your claim in ils entirely with the accounts of the meeting which I have received from a number of those who were tiresent. For instance, several have informed me, each independently of the oilier, that one of Ihe speakers asked any of those present who understood the Act. the maternity beitelils regulations, and the contract, to hold up their hands. I have been assured that not one hand was held tip. “Then I have been informed, ami have verified the information from a number of sources, that one of the promoters was asked to explain how the work of the doctors could possibly be impaired by the operation of lhe maternity benefits, and that, instead of giving such an explanation, she substituted a statement made by tt doctor friend. That was the controversial collapse to which I referred.

"The fact that the conveners of the meeting requested ‘a strong ami very able advocate of the Government's plan' to address the meeting and did so. I have no doubt, with the full knowledge of this lady's attitude, is certainly a tribute to their fairness. I can only regret that litis strong and able advocacy was not more effective against any possible prejudice and preconceived ideas. “In conclusion, I have to state that

if there is any information or explanation in regard to the maternity benefits, or any section of them, which might possibly help to clear up any misunderstanding or allay any anxiety among the women of the district, and particularly on the part, of young mothers, the Health Department or myself will be pleased to supply it. “In the meantime. I am sure it must be a source of gratification to the promoters of the meeting, and to all who have the interests of the mothers of the Dominion at heart, to know that no fewer than 153 out of 179 private hospitals have now agreed to assist in extending the maternity benefits to mothers. These tire, of course, in addition to the provision made in Ihe public maternity hospitals and the maternity wards of the general hospitals.”