CHANGS OF POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 21 May 1925, Page 9

CHANGS OF POLICY

GENERAL HOSPITALS

"PARTING OF THE WAYS"

PRIVATE WARDS,

That hospital boards are recom

mended to adopt the suggestion o!

the Director-General, that the bon

orary j medical staff may be rcmun crated for whole or part time ser

The above resolution of the Provisional Executive of the Hospital Boards Association, to be considered at a conference in Auckland next week, was discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday afternoon Tho chairman, Mr. C. M. Luke, said the adoption of such a resolution would involve a change of policy on tho part of hospital boards, and would mean inI creased expenditure. He thought that tho delegates to the conference should submit a report to the board after the meeting of the. association. A change had taken place in regard to admissions to general hospitals. The resolution of the executive of the Hospitals Association was virtually that of the DirectorGeneral of Health, who had probably the most extensive knowledge of the hospital system in New Zealand. It followed that our hospital system was becoming untenable owing to the changed circumstances. Honorary medical practitioners were now asked to treat patient, in hospital who were well able and willing to pay. Tho general hospitals were becoming more efficient and better equipped Private hospitals could not provide the service which the general hospitals now provided. Therefore: the open-door policy was the natural evolution and result of the changed condition of affairs. The general hospital was becoming, so important to the community that no section of the people could be deprived of the benefits of such hospitals. It followed also that the honorary staff system, which was a survival of the old voluntary system, would have to be abolished. In the speaker's opinion, the present system was unsatisfactory, both to the medical men and to the patients. He thought that if the hospitals were conducted by stipendiary staffs, tlie medical organisation would be better for the patients. It would bo better because patients would not be subjected to so many delays. It was quite natural that to some, extent the honorary staff should subordinate their hospital work to their private work. Ho was not criticising their hospital work, but was it not natural that the hospital work should take second place ? Already the general hospitals paid specialists in several departments, nnd he thought tho time had come to extend that system. The proposal of the DirectorGeneral of Health meant'an important change in the hospital system. The proposal was fundamental, and under the changed conditions he thought the existence of an honorary staff in general hospitals was an anachronism, and should not be continued. WHY PEOPLE WENT TO PUBLIC '.-■•'. HOSPITALS. ; Mr. W. Appleton agreed with a great deal ot what Mi\ Castle had said. He thought tho time. was rapidly coming when, hospital board 3 would have to j: adopt the private ward. system. He was against the suggested increase in the fees, but, as Mr. Castle had said, the time had come when private institutions could not possess the equipment of the general hospitals. Numbers of people were now being treated in-general hospitals who could afford to pay larger fees. They came to the general hospitals because they were of opinion that they could get better service than they could get outside. The fact had to bo faced that tho time had come when there would ho two divisions, namely, one where-honorary or free service could be given, and another where treatment could be given in smaller wards or in private wards. He thought the time had come when patients should have the right to nominate their own medical man, and make arrangements for payment of their own medical fees. At present private patients were brought to the hospital for special treatment that could not bo given elsewhere. He was of opinion that they would have to add to the hospital and provide for private wards. Mr. IT. H. Bakewell expressed the opinion that the time had come when people who could afford to pay should do so, and tlius assist those who could not do so. Modern equipment and skilled attention should, in his opinion, be available to the wealthy just as mucli as to the poor. If private wards were established, there was no reason why additional fees should not be charged to the occupants.

Tho Rev. J. A. Lochore generally endorsed the opinions expressed by the previous speakers. He -was glad to see that the attitude of the board was to take a big step m advance. The. chairman thought they had already reached, if not passed, the parting of the ways. The interpretation of the Act that anybody could claim admittance to our general hospitals had a good deal to be said for it. Our general hospitals had now up-to-date ap pliances which private institutions did not oosscss. Therefore, it should ha no misfortune to be rioh. A man should not bo excluded because of bis riches if ho could get treatment in a general nospitai which ho could not get elsewhere. It was perhaps a. question whether the decision of the board against increasing the. fefs should not be more fully considered. It was' a question whether those who could pay larger fees should bo'barred from, doing so. '"They must remember, however, that the provision of private wards would involve considerable addition capital expenditure." As ho had said, he was persuaded that they had come pretty nearly to the parting of the ways when they would havo to adopt a new order of things. He suggested that the delegates to tho conference roport to the board on this question on their return from Auckland.

Decision on the question was deferred until after the Hospital Associations' Conference at Auckland next week.

At the meeting of Court Epuni, A.0.F., No. 73H, C.R. Bto. Mason presided. Woodwards reported six members declaring on the sick fund and one off, leaving twelve members still on the fund. One new member was duly initiated into the Order by C.T!. Bro. Mason, tho Grand Charge being read by P.D.C.R. Bro. F. Clark. Next Court night, 2SIU May, heing tho 3!)lh anniversary it was resolved to hold a social evening, to take the form of a smoke concert, among the members. P.D.CJJ. Bro. \V. Clarke gave the. Court some very interesting- information concerning the V.V.H. Dispensary, which the members much appreciated, H, wa s resolved that a letter of thanks and appreciation be forwarded lo P.C.H. Br o . N. Mills for his services rendered to the Court in entertaining l.iio visitors on tho last Court night. It was resolved tiiut the su"«cslien ...f vifilm;,- nOini- conKs be ~~"h«M over for further waemeraiion,.