DOCTORS' VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 140, 10 December 1935, Page 10

DOCTORS' VIEWS

HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

ADVICE FOR THE BOARD

THE TREND OVERSEAS

In "view of the decision of the board to make formal application to the Local Government Loans Board for its sanction to the borrowing of approximately £155,000 for hospital purposes, consideration was given by the Wellington Hospital Board, at a special meeting today, to the question of the advisability of arranging for the medical superintendent (Dr. A. R. Thorne) to accompany the board's architect to Australia early in the New Year to inspect new hospitals recently erected. After discussion the proposal was dropped in favour of a conference being held with the honorary and stipendiary medical staffs of the hospital, and also the Director-General of Health, with the object principally of hearing the views of doctors who have recently returned from overseas on modern hospital construction and administration. It was decided also to ask the board's architect to attend the meeting.

In putting forward the proposal of Dr. Thorne visiting Australia, the chairman (Mr. F. Castle) said that the board's architect had already decided to go to Australia early in the New Year at his own expense. It was for the board to decide whether the advantage would be sufficient to justify an expenditure of £60 or £70 to send Dr. Thorne to New South Wales and Victoria with the architect to study the recent additions to hospitals in those States. On a previous occasion the then medical superintendent had been sent to Canada and the United States for a similar purpose. Tn recent years a great deal of attention had been paid to hospital construction, and he was satisfied that, as the board intended making additions to the general hospital, the board would be justified, for the small outlay involved, in sending Dr. Thorne to Australia with the architect.

Mr. Castle formally moved that the board request Dr. Thorne to visit Sydney and Melbourne to look into hospital construction and recent additions and also hospital administration, with a view to Dr. Thorne submitting a report to the board, and that the board pay his reasonable travelling expenses.

Dr. D. M. Wilson seconded the motion. He said he thought the architect would benefit by having the medical superintendent with him, and that it would( certainly be to the advantage of the hospital and the superintendent. The trip would not be a holiday for Dr. Thorne.

Mr. A. W. Croskery said He was not satisfied that the present was the time to send the medical superintendent to Australia or whether it was exactly advisable that he should go. He thought that before anything was done in this connection the board should have the benefit of the observations of members of the medical stait who had recently returned from overseas. He had discussed the matter with one of the members of the honorary staff, who had assured him that the doctors would be delighted to give the board the benefit of their observations.

Mr. Croskery moved an amendment along these lines, with the suggestion also that the Director-General of Health and the board's architect should be asked to be present to hear the doctors. Mr. A. H. Carman seconded the amendment.

Several members spoke in support of Mr. Croskery's proposal. Miss A. G. Kane said that not only had there been additions to hospitals in London but also some hospitals had been completely rebuilt. She was sure the board would receive valuable information from the doctors who had recently visited these and other hospitals. In view of the general expression of opinion in favour of Mr. Croskery's amendment, Mr. Castle withdrew the motion.

Dr. Wilson said he agreed it would be a good plan to meet the doctors, because once a building was up it was the doctors who were the greatest critics.

Mr. Croskery's motion was adopted unanimously, and it was left to the medical superintendent to arrange for a conference.