HUTT HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 10

HUTT HOSPITAL

A LARGE PROJECT

APPROVED BY BOARD

PURCHASE OF SITE

The building of a Hutt Valley hospital of ultimately 400 beds, on a site of over 13 acres, was decided upon by the Wellington Hospital Board last night. The discussion which took place upon these matters was necessarily inconclusive, as the consent of the Health Department is necessary before proceeding with the purchase, and the proposals of the board's building committee were made without architects plans. There was a division of opinion on the number of beds to be aimed at in the initial portion of the building, j Finally the policy and finance committee was instructed to proceed with the purchase of the properties of Pearce and others, subject to the consent of the Minister of Health, and the proposals of the building committee, as set out below, were adopted without alterations of moment. Mrs. E. M. Gilmer raised the question of the advisability of securing more land adjoining before others did, but the chairman, Mr. J. Glover, pointed out that the consent of the Minister to the purchase was the first consideration. Mr. W. J. Mason said that the Wellington Hospital was not using 13$ acres now. They were told that present arrangements could not be made for more than 125 beds at the Hutt Valley Hospital, so that it might be many years before more land had to be secured. Mr. A. H. Carman, chairman of the building committee, said that the hill sites had not been so seriously considered as the site mentioned. Only the eastern side of the valley had been considered owing to the effect of southerlies and the cutting off of the sun, while hill sites had access from only one side. The following amendment was moved by Mrs. M. Dowse:—"That the question of the site be deferred until a report has been brought down by either Public Works engineers or consulting engineers regarding the cost of foundations, type of foundations, and all difficulties in establishing same for a four-storey building on the PittOngley and Pearce-Nai Nai reserve blocks." The amendment lapsed for want of a seconder. BUILDING PROPOSALS. The building committee made the following outline of proposals for the Hutt Valley Hospital:—(a) A multiplestoreyed building of not more than four storeys; (b) the ultimate size to be 400 beds; (c) provision to be made for medical, surgical, maternity, and children's cases, but no specialists' cases; (d) the first section to provide for 200 general and 25 maternity cases; (c) provision for a full dispensary; (f) provision for post-mortems; (g) part laboratory service; (h) part X-ray service; (i) two rooms in the outpatients' department to be set aside for the almoner's department; (j) provision for district nurses' offices; (k) provision to be made for general outpatients meantime, provision for specialists to be made later; (1) provision for 120 beds for nurses; (m) no provision for district nurses; (n) the institution to be subsidiary to Wellington, accommodation to be provided for maintenance, clerical, and medical staffs. It was decided that the following services for the Hutt Valley Hospital be provided from Wellington:—Laundry, bakery, and stores, such as crockery and linen. A discussion followed the reading of a report by Dr. R. A, Shore to the Health Department, dealing with the population of the Hutt Valley from various bases of calculation as to the relationship between actual population and hospital population, and recommending a commencement with a hospital of 125 beds. He estimated that the present population of 41,130 would be 48,000 in 1942, and 60,000 in 1948. This was without taking in more than those in the Hutt Valley proper. i TIME FOR LIBERAL PROVISION. Mr. F. Castle considered that there would be a population of 48,000 to be served now by the Hutt Valley Hospital. The figures in the report did not include the outlying districts that would be served there, and should be increased by 25 per cent. Experience showed that hospital populations were increasing more rapidly than actual populations, and the effect of the national health scheme had to be considered. It was time for the board to be liberal in its forecasts. It must be remembered that the report did not provide for emergencies, such as earthquakes, or even the possibility of a large military population, in the event of war, at Trentham. Supporting the trend of growth in hospital populations, Dr. R. Welton Hogg thought that a hospital of 200 beds for a start would be more economical than one of 125. Mr. A. W. Croskery moved as an amendment that the 200 beds in the committee's report should be reduced to 125. The Royal Commission's report had suggested 100. If the board asked for too much the delay in securing what they ultimately might get might be increased by official antagonism, and they might not get even stated by Christmas, 1939. It was interesting to note that more beds were now being sought by a member who was representative of the Ratepayers' Association than was suggested by the Department, yet formerly the Ratepayers' Association had objected to the expenditure of the ratepayers' money. POPULATION PROPORTIONS. Mr. W. J. Mason said that Dr. Shore's report was based on the Government

Statistician's figures. If the Hutt Valley's population was one-third of that of the city, 200 beds would certainly be required, yet Dr. Shore recommended 125. If the Health Department had the first say in what the board should do, why did it not so inform the board? The Chairman: There is no doubt that the Department has the final say. Mrs. Gilmer expressed the opinion that 200 beds were needed. The last word rested with the Minister, whose sympathy when matters were axplained was probable, and not with the Department. Mrs. M. Dowse deprecated any delays caused by differences with the Department, and supported Mr. Croskery's amendment, provided that the ultimate aim of 400 beds was retained. i Mr. Castle deprecated the apparent bowing down to the dictates of a medical officer unless that officer was being instructed by a superior who was elected by the people. If the board was turned down, it must not be by a subordinate officer, but by his political chief. Members should disregard politics, and vote according to their beliefs. The Rev. F. J. Usher agreed that if they were to put up a permanent structure, as seemed to be the intention, it should be one that need not be interfered with for many years. The situation could be met for the time being by a start with a permanent 200----bed hospital, a wing of which could be used in the meantime as a maternity hospital. This would not prevent permanent provision for maternity cases later without pulling existing buildings about. Mr. J. C. Crawford agreed with the Rev. Mr. Usher regarding the temporary use of one wing as a maternity hospital. The 200-bed hospital accommodation would be taken up by the outside districts. FIGURES CHALLENGED. Mr. Carman said that the debate was based on Dr. Shore's figures, which were palpably wrong, as the proportion of beds per thousand for the two districts differed widely in them. The Royal Commission had recommended 450 more beds, making a total of 1050. The 1936 census showed that the population of Wellington City, Johnsonville, and Makara was 121,750, and that of Hutt County, Lower Hutt, Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, and Petone was 41,748, a total of 163,498. The Hutt Valley hospital would therefore be entitled to 25.5 per cent, of the beds to be provided, or 267. This should be reduced by 25 per cent, for cases such as fever, which would still. require treatment in a base hospital, leaving 200 beds required, on figures which were two and a-half years old. The 125 beds suggested were certainly not enough. It was the board's duty to convince the Department that 200 beds were needed. The chairman referred to the opposition shown to the hospital scheme by local bodies. The Commission had reported for a separate hospital at the Hutt, with 100 beds, and these proposals had increased the expenditure by over £100,000, yet now those who had opposed the proposals wished to double the expenditure. The recommendations put forward by the building committee would mean an increase of £120,000. The first 125 beds would cost £185,000. The amendment was lost by 7 votes to 9. ■ j The chairman moved as an amendment that the 120 beds proposed fori fiurses be reduced to 70, which was lost by 5 votes to 11. The committee's report was adopted.