COST OF HOSPITALS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 59, 13 March 1929, Page 11

COST OF HOSPITALS

.TAXPAYERS' BUE.DEN

PAYMENT FOR TREATMENT

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

PALMERSTON N., 12th March,

The vexed question of whether tho hospital boards were spending too much money in the administration of the hospital, thus causing too heavy a- drain on tho finance of the local bodies, was referred to by the Minister of Health (tho Hon. A. J. Stallworthy) at 'the hospital conference to-day.

He said that hospital boards were to some extent the Ciuderellas of the local government services, and were not always regarded with kindliness by their two elder (he would, not' say '.'ugly") sisters, tho councils of the counties and boroughs, yet this Cin-derella,-like that of the original fairy tale, had beauties which the elder-sis-ters did not possess. Her work was not merely utilitarian, but primarily humanitarian. Now it was from this aspect that the Department's difficulties could be seen. It was faced on one side with ever-growing demands for the further provision for modern medical and surgical requirements, so beneficial for the health of the people, and ou the other side there was a protest from the contributory local authorities against the burden of the hospital board demands. Perhaps tho latter sometimes failed to appreciate the economic value of the hospital.

"Taking the average duration in the hospital in re3pect of each admission as 21 days, which were the 1927 figures," 3tated the Ministcf, "we have an aggregate sickness - basis for the public hospitals of 220,000 weeks. If we admit that better hospitals, care and treatment give at least a 00 per cent, better chance of recovery, we may presume that the hospitals in 1927 saved no less than 110,000 weeks of sickness, or on the basis of £4 per week, no less than £440,000. How far in this far from perfect world can the Department expect the public to pay for such beneficial undertakings? "It was for this reason that the conferenco has been asked to nicct the Department in a round-table conference in an endeavour^to arrange some uniform and systematic method which will ensure that those receiving treatment will pay for it up to the limit of their ability, whilst those unable to do so will not be harassed by the demands that they are unable to meet. At present this important . matter is left to the individual boards, and often to the. individual board secretaries, many of whom de,al with each case according to their views."