SAD HOSPITAL CASE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 148, 26 June 1925, Page 12

SAD HOSPITAL CASE

A COMPLAINT AND EXPLANATION.

At a meetin E o£ the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday a letter was Tead trom the mother of a child patient who had been an inmate of the hospital for some time receiving treatment for bone disease, and who subsequently developed a throat condition which proved fatal. The complaint was that a member of the resident medical staff had been requested to see the child on one occasion shortly before the boy's death, and that he had not done so. It was stated that a reply to the complaint bad been sent explaining that the house surgeon referred to was engaged in the operating theatre at the time the mother called. The reply continued: "The doctor was not free until 8.30 up.m. Ths doctor had no reason to rtfuse any request to see the child, and would certainly have done so again had he known you specially wished mm to. He had seen the patient, and had ordered treatment, and had also seen him jusfc before -7 p.m. Later' in the evening the little patient was seen by two other house surgeons, besides .tlie doctor spoken to. During his service ou the staff the doctor, referred to has proved himself courteous and obliging to the patients and the staff. It is difficult to imagine him acting in the manner suggested. I am asked to convey to you the sympathy of the members of the board in your sad loss, and to assure you that every attention, both nursing and medical, was given to your son." The chairman (Mr. F. Castle), said he thought it \vaß a case where the mother was over-wrought. There was-no evidence to show that there had been any improper treatment or diagnosis. He moved that the letter sent by the. committee of the board be approved of. Mr. C. H. Chapman supported the motion, and said this was one of those sad cases which sometimes occurred. He thought the doctor had given every attention to the patient. He had just previously seen the child before the mother spoke "to him. One could quite understand that the doctor, having: just seen the child, he thought it unnecessary to see him again. Such cases would happen sometimes. Mr. Chapman did not think any neglect had been proved. The motion was agreed to. '.■■-,.: '■