HOSPITAL NEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 84, 9 April 1938, Page 10

HOSPITAL NEEDS

INQUIRY ORDERED

COMMISSION SET UP

DETAILS ANNOUNCED

The personnel and order of reference of the Commission of Inquiry into the Wellington Hospital Board's building proposals were announced today by jhe Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser). The Commission has a wide order of reference, and is to investigate, among other things, the question of existing accommodation at the Wellington Hospital and the question of establishing a general hospital in the Hutt Valley. The Minister said that as the result of various representations received in regard to the board's proposals he had called a meeting of the various contributory local authorities, the Hospital Board, representatives of the Health Department, and local members of Parliament on February 18, at the end of which he announced that consideration would be given to the representations which had been put forward. He subsequently advised the Wellington Hospital Board that it was proposed to appoint a Commission to go fully into the matter and this was announced at the last meeting of the board. The personnel of the Commission is as follows:—Mr. H. A. Young, of Christchurch, principal Stipendiary Magistrate, chairman; Dr. D. S. Wylie, C.M.G., C.8.E., of Palmerston North, medical practitioner; Dr. H. HardwickSmith, of Wellington, medical practitioner. ORDER OF REFERENCE. The order of reference is:—To inquire into and report as to the following matters, namely:— 1. The existing accommodation, facilities for treatment of patients, and other working facilities afforded by the Wellington Hospital Board at the Wellington Public Hospital and otherwise. 2. (a) The extent, if any, to which such accommodation and facilities are inadequate; and (b) the extent to which prospective needs of the Wellington hospital district as regards hospital services should be provided for now or in the near future. 3. The steps that should be taken by the Wellington Hospital Board to meet any inadequacy of accommodation and facilities that you may find to exist, and to meet aay prospective needs of the Wellington hospital district as regards hospital services which in your opinion should be the subject of immediate provision. And in particular, having in view the attainment of efficiency, and adequacy of the services to patients, economy in building and maintenance, convenience to the public, and expedition in meeting requirements, as to the following questions, namely:— (a) Whether it is desirable in the public interest that the board should adhere to the present proposals for extending and improving the Wellington Public Hospital as described and contemplated in the board's recent several applications to the Local Government Loans Board involving loans totalling £721,000, or whether these proposals should be modified, and if so, in what respects, including the question of alternative site or sites. - (b) Whether it is desirable in the public interest that the board should take steps to establish a general hospital in the Hutt Valley, and if so, what should be the scope of the treatment facilities and the bed-capacity and other accommodation provided in such hospital. (c) Whether the board should take steps to establish a convalescent hospital, a recovery nospital, or other special institution in the district, and if so, what should be the scopev of treatment facilities, the bed capacity, and other accommodation in and the location of any such institution, and what effect the establishment of such institution will have on the proposals referred to in paragraph IV (1) above. (d) Whether the board should take steps to extend its arrangements for medical and nursing attendance on patients in their own homes, and if so, in what respects. (c) In what order of precedence, if any, should such extensions and improvements as are recommended be undertaken, and generally any questions related to the provision of adequate and efficient services by the board, arising out of any of the aforesaid particular matters. AN EARLY START. The date on which the Commission will commence its sittings will be advertised in due course. It is expected that the sittings will begin soon after ; Easter.

Mr. Young is principal Magistrate at Christchurch. He has been a Magistrate in New Zealand since 1909, and prior to that was Public Prosecutor. From 1904 to 1908 he was a Magistrate in Transvaal, South Africa.

Dr. Wylie was assistant surgeon and later Medical Superintendent of New Plymouth Hospital prior to the war.

He served in the war from 1915 to 1919, 'and with the N.Z.M.C. and attained the rank of colonel. He also served in the Boer War. At one time he was honorary surgeon to the Palmerston North Hospital Board, and from 1920 to 1922 was attached to the Health Department. He is now in private practice.

Dr. Hardwick-Smith was at one time Medical Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, and during the war attained the rank of major in the N.Z. M.C. He is in private practice.