VALLEY HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 86, 8 October 1935, Page 10

VALLEY HOSPITAL

HUTT DISTRICT NEEDS

DISCUSSED BY CONFERENCE

A FURTHER REPORT

An important conference of Hutt Valley local bodies was held at Lower Hutt last evening to discuss the question of the hospital needs of the district. The Mayor of Lower Hutt (Mr. J. W. Andrews) presided, and others present were Mr. W. Nash, M.P., Mr. F. Castle (chairman Wellington Hospital Board), Mrs. S. Blake (Hospital Board), Mr. G. Y. Berry (Hospital Board and Eastbourne Borough Council), Dr. A. R. Thorne (superintendent Wellington Hospital), Mr. A. Scholefleld (Mayor) and Councillor E. Hogg (Petone Borough Council), Mr. A. J. McCurdy (Mayor) and Councillors J. Purvis and W. Greig (Upper Hutt' Borough Council), Councillors W. B. Rainey, P. Dowse, and Walter Cole, and Mr. B. S. Knox (Town Clerk) (Lower Hutt Borough Council), and Mr. E. Wise (Mayor of Eastbourne). The chairman welcomed the delegates and other visitors, and said the conference had been called to consider what lack, if any, there was in the present system of hospital facilities for the Valley, and how best the needs of the district could be met. Among other questions which would be discussed were those of an out-patients' department with a dispensary and a maternity hospital for the Valley. Mr. A. Scholefleld considered that the Lower Hutt Borough Council, as convenor of the conference, should have sent the delegates the preliminary report which Dr. Thorne had presented to his board on the question. In the absence of that report he had to depend on a Press report. TWO POLICIES. "I believe," he said, "the time has come when serious consideration should be given to the whole hospital service as it affects the Valley. There seems to be two policies of control before us. One is whether to continue to centralise everything in the present hospital grounds with the improvements for the Valley, as suggested by Dr. Thorne. The other to limit the present hospital and establish a second hospital in the Valley." The Wellington Hospital had a medical staff of twelve resident- officers, over fifty visiting medical practitioners, a staff of 267 nurses, and five qualified disoensers. The main question was whether the present policy of centralisation, plus the suggested improvements for the Valley, would give better results than the alternative policy of limiting the present hospital and establishing a hospital (with limited services) in the Valley. A local hospital, he continued, would not be able to cope with many accident cases, which would need the special investigation available at Wellington. Mr. E. Wise thought the conference was premature until Dr. Thorne had made his final report on the question to. his board. At present Eastbourne was probably quite as well off in sending patients to Wellington as if a hospital were established in the Valley, and at the present moment he considered the case did not warrant the building of a hospital in the Valley. Councillor P. Dowse considered that the conference was not premature because Dr. Thorne would know before he drew up his report what was the feeling in the Valley. He felt very strongly that better facilities should be given, and that- the time was ripe for the establishment of a local hospital. Though he was open to conviction, he considered that nothing less than a separate hospital would meet the needs of the population. DELAY IN ATTENTION. The population of the Valley, including the Hutt and Makara Counties, was 43,000 and this rapidly growing population demanded better attention. Mr. Dowse quoted cases in which he alleged there' had been delay in giving attention in the Wellington Hospital. The provision for maternity cases in the Valley was very poor, and the1 time taken to send a maternity case to St. Helens was an important factor. The Valley population would soon outstrip that of Wellington, and now was the time to plan for the future. As regards specialists and honorary services, he could see no reason why they could not be obtained in the Valley as well as Wellington. The chairman pointed out that the population of Makara could certainly be better served in Wellington and that the Hutt County had not desired to be represented at the conference. POSITION OF HOSPITAL BOARD. "Dr. Thorne and I are present to i assist you by giving you any informa- . tion,we have," said Mr. F. Castle. It was not, he said, the function of the ; Hospital Board to decide what the Val- . ley policy was, but to give considera- . tion to any representations the conference made. It was quite, reasonable i for the Valley representatives to consider whether a separate hospital would 1 best suit their needs. The question [ for members of the conference was would they get a better or even as . good a service in a local hospital. The [ meeting certainly did not appear to be { unanimous. Unless they were, and I made fairly strong representation, the ' board could not act. Dr. Thorne would j no doubt point out the need of having I a group of surgeons and physicians , handy to the hospital. Were they ' now.available in the Valley? ' Mr. A. J. McCurdy reyiewed the his- ' tory of the purchase of a site —which I he alleged was quite ' unsuitable —in ' Lower 'Hutt,' and also the establishing! of the McCarthy convalescent home, , which had proved a failure., He sug-1 ; gested that the present Valley hospital site and the convalescent home, ! with possibly the Ohiro Home, should be sold, and a convalescent home com- ' bined with a home for the aged ami 1 perhaps a maternity home established, '■ say, in the Silverstream district. The Hospital Board policy in the | j past had changed from time to time, now favouring centralisation and again 3 the establishment of district hospitals. 3 Generally throughout New Zealand the J policy of centralisation had proved the ' best. In Auckland the nearest lids--1 pitals to the city were at Whangarei I and Hamilton, which were a long dis- £ tance away. In Wairarapa the same applied. On the west coast there was r no hospital betweea Wellington and Palmerstoh North, and none between Palmerston North and.Wanganui. In ' some places where cottage hospitals ' had been -established they had proved very expensive. TIME NOT RIPE. " r In his opinion the time was not ripe , for a separate hospital. The growth of the district during, the next ten years would be phenomenal and at :> the end of that time it would be easier " to judge the best situation for a Valley " hospital. A total of £14,000 would " be available if the sites he had meni tioned were sold. Members had been 1 told that at present they were not get- * ting value for the amount the Hospital - Board levied, bu*t he could say from 2 personal knowledge that the whole oE J the levies and the Government sub- ? sidy were more than balanced by the >, bad debts written off by the board, i The. Wellington .Free. Ambulance was ' rendering a most efficient service, and he would regret any, interference with

it. Upper Hutt had not given any consideration to the establishing of a local hospital.

Mr. Nash supported Mr. McCurdy's idea of selling the present sites. There was a demand, he said, for a maternity hospital, but that was not altogether a hospital board matter. There was also a need for a dental clinic and in this regard some arrangements might be made with "the Education Department for an extension of the present school children's clinics. There was also, he considered, a demand for ambulance cars to be stationed in the Valley. OUTPATIENTS' DEPARTMENT. Mr. G. Y. Berry said that if a hospital was built in the Hutt Valley it would have to be provided by. the Wellington Hospital Board, the other alternative being to form a new hospital district. If a new hospital district was formed it must mean a very con--siderable increase in rates.

It would appear that one of the main arguments put forward in favour of a hospital in the Hutt was that visitors and relatives found it irksome and costly going to Wellington to visit patients. In hospital work there should only be one primary consideration, that of the patients.

At a recent meeting of the Medical Council, Mr. Berry said, he asked the members to consider the question of the treatment of outpatients, and he thought it would be possible to establish an outpatients' department in he Valley which should be able to treat practically all the cases in the district. Also, he would like consideration jgiven to the possibility of making the' Macarthy Home at Belmont a "chest (hospital" for the tubercular patients of the Hutt Valley who could not be sent to Waipukurau.

Councillor W. Grieg pressed the claims of a dental clinic.

Councillor E. Hogg suggested that now that Dr., Thorne had heard the opinions of delegates he should be asked to draw up a report which should form the basis of a discussion, by a future conference. There was a feeling in the Valley that better facilities should be px-ovided.

Mrs. Blake' stressed the need for an outpatients' department..

Mr. W. B. Rainey said the ideal would be a separate hospital, but if that hospital could not give the same service as Wellington it would be a mistake. On the question of stationing ambulance vans in the Valley he had an open mind. The present service was generally very efficient. More district nurses were needed with transport facilities. A dispensary would be of great assistance, and to it might be added a ■dental clinic.

Mr. Scholefield said he hoped the question of a separate hospital would be fully investigated.

A long statement concerning the proposals for a Hutt Valley hospital was" submitted by Dr. Thorne. RESOLUTION ADOPTED. The following motion, moved by Mr. W. Nash, was then carried:—"That Dr. Thorne be asked to submit a pro- \ visional report through the Hospital Board as" to What his views are as to the adequate requirements for the Valley for the consideration by the local bodies. After consideration by them the conference to then meet again before Dr. Thorne presents his final report to the board."