OPEN TO ALL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 130, 5 June 1925, Page 7

OPEN TO ALL

GENERAL HOSPITALS • HONORARY STAFF AND PRIVATE WARDS '.'■■•■ .QUESTION BEFORE HOSPITAL BOARD.. . At a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday- afternoon, a report of the delegates of the board to the recent conference of the Hospital Boards' Association was .presented and discussed. .A summary of the proceedings of the conference, telegraphed from Auckland, has already appeared in " The Post." After the reading of the report, Mr. C. 11. Luke, chairman, acknowledged the hospitality of tho Auckland Hospital Board, and said lie came away from Auckland-feeling that we were very modest people down here. Hg was surprised at the strides the Auckland Hospital had made during the last ten years. When the work npw in progress was completed, they would; have 1000 beds. It was claimed that the Auckland Hospital was now: the largest south of the Line. Their recently-constructed buildings were quite up to date. He brieflydescribed the new Wallace Ward. It was his desire to avoid any comparison between the Auckland ami Wellington Hospitals, but he would say that so far as internal arrangements and equipment were concerned ho saw nothing*.superior in the northern institution to that possessed by the Wellington Hospital. They were in Auckland, as was Wellington, making provision for the installation of radium. They were having most up-to-date provision made for laundry work. When, however, Wellington completed its new building scheme the arrangements in this respect would be equal to —perhaps better than—those at Auckland. ■-■-.' ...,■■- * .-, Mr. Luke-said that in his opinion the. Hospitals Boards' Association was calculated- to do a great deal of good. There was much that the boards could learn.from one another, and co-ordination in some matters would prove beneficial to all. All the business done at tho conference was subjet to confirmation of the various boards. As far as was possible, the • executive elected was on a geogi-aphically: representative basis. * PRIVATE WARDS. Referring to the question of the provision of private wards, Mr. Luke.said they found that already in some districts private wards existed, and patients paid for medical services. That was in some of the small 'towns where the board's funds and the number of patients did not justify the appointment of a medical superintendent. The general feeling was that* however the hospitals had met the needs of the' people in the past,' a new phase was arising. Some of the most "modem equipment: of medical' science could only be possessed by the large base hospitals. No one should be deprived of. the benefit of such equipment. The doors of the general 'hospitals-should bo wide enough to admit anybody,, and there must be no possibility of those who could iiofc afford to pay being excluded by those who could afford to pay, Tho first "consideration' must iic given to those who could not afford to pay for private treatment: but. Hie doors must be wide enough to admit everybody. Those who could pay should be expected to pay, and many of this class had given an assurance that they were anxious to pay. Such a departure might be new. although , the board had discussed the. matter from time to time. But even if they decided to adopt the new.system next month, they would not have the room to carry it out. They must Hot deprive any poor person of the right of entry. They might* however, map" out a- programme of building more wards. In the ordinary course, in view of the increasingpopulation, more accommodation would have to be provided; but additional accommodation wouid. of course, have to be arranged for if, the new policy were adopted. In accordance with the spirit of the new age, they would be obliged to extend their operations. As to the payment of the honorary medical staff no provision had been made for that in the estimates, and they might have to hold -t-nat matter over till next year. • FURTHER CONSIDERATION. : Mr. F Castle moved that the delegates be thanked for their, report on the work done at the conference, and that the matters dealt with be - referred ■to the 1-inance and Policy Committee for consideration aiid report. He suggested that the board hold a conference with the honorary staff, or with delegates of the ISM.&. and the hospital medical staff in reterence to the question of payment of the honorary staff. ' • . ' • In Mr. Castle's opinion, the Auckland Hospital would provide private wards quicker than the other boards—at any rate, on an extended scale. They had a ! larger population, and perhaps more hinds. -He firmly believed that the change had to come; but as to how soon, ■ that was another matter. Tho present system was failin« because of the fact •that if it were to go on it would mean providing a-better class service for the poor man than for Die middle-class man hvery person who was sick needed the best medical service and attention that could be given to him. He did not think what.might be called-the democratic system would be hurt if they agreed 'to some system by which those who were agreeable to pay more would" lie "iyen the opportunity to do so "in order' to get tho best hospital service. "A BACKWARD STEP." In seconding the motion, Mr. C H Chnpniiui said that it was high time Hie board decided on its policy in regard to private wards." After careful"consideration, *he had come to the conclusion that it would be a backward step, and would tend to promote" class .discrimination, which must follow tho introduction of paying wards in addition to the ordinary wards of the hospital. He would not prevent anybody who needed medical attention coming to the hospital whether' lie was poor or wealthy. If certain people, however, thought now that it was infra dig to como'lo n general hospital, they would have to get over that feeling. If a person felt that he was in a position to pay more than the ordinary patient, there "was nothinnto prevent him making a donation to the hospital funds. In bis opinion there would be serious disadvantages in adopting the proposed system. There would be fear of differentiation in treatment even if such did not exist. The Rev. Dr. J. K. Elliott supported the motion to refer the report to the iMiiiince and Policy Committee for report. Time was required for consideration nf the points involved. He disagreed with Mr. Chapman's contention in regard to the honorary staff, and the propusei! chaugo in the system. Mr. E. Vim* expressed the . opinion (lmt the public temper was not* such that it would easily ppnnil a very yrcat > increase in the lwspitnl rules. *1J" i)>c money io pay tho honorary stall were

i not provided for from the rates, it necessarily followed that tho patients [ themselves must boar the burden., and I in some cases that would be no hardship.- He quite agreed with the suggestion that with the advance in medical I equipment it- was very bard for the pri- | viite practitioner to compete against our large general hospitals. - The report was referred to the Finance and Policy Committee, and it was agreed that a special meeting bo called to consider the whole question.