CITY HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 51, 1 March 1941, Page 11

CITY HOSPITAL

CAUSES OF DELAY

MAIN BLOCK AND NURSES' HOME

MINUTES OF BOARD

( ..^As a result of sharp criticism of i:he delays and changes in plan of the building programme of the Wellington Hospital, the board, towards the end of last year, decided that a public statement should be made setting out the position as shown by the minutes of meetings and records of correspondence, the board's answer to its critics being that in the main the Health Department was responsible for delays. At its first meeting this year the proposal to issue a statement was rescinded. : ? Mr. A. H. Carman stated then that he considered, a statement from the aboard should be. made, and in its absence he has, in his capacity as chairman of the building committee, prepared the following summary of board decisions and negotiations with the Health Department. "The life of the present board," Mr. Carman stated in prefacing his summary, "commenced with the position existing that all building matters were in suspense pending the decision of the Royal Commission set up in March, 1938. "I have always maintained that ♦'1. Any building scheme must be more than mere patching' of an old hospital, and : . "2. That any-such scheme must take cognisance' of the whole. of the Wellington Hospital Board district, and of the various types of patients to be catered for. "These requirements were endorsed by the Royal Commission, whose report was received by the board on' July 14, 1938, and recommended that a Hutt hospital precede the new Wellington hospital. "The board then, according to the minutes, decided ;as follows," stated Mr. Carman:— \ July 19,1938.—New boi.lerhouse plans approved and tenders to be called; estimated cost £52,423. July 26.—Decided to purchase Pearce property, 13 acres, at Lower Hutt. July 28.—Plans, approved for new stores block (three storeys); estimated cost £23,000. . ■ . . August 2.—Decided to build 50-bed emergency ward at Newtown and a 200-bed general. hospital and 25-bed maternity hospital at Lower Hutt. August 9.—Decided to build new nurses' home of 130 bedrooms in Hospital Road, as, recommended by Com-, mission; estimated cost £79,500. December 20. —After •■ an argument with the Health Department, the Minister approved of a 150-bed hospital at. Hutt, plus a 25-b,ed maternity hospital, and the board agreed to prepare plans; tender accepted for-emergency ward. January 26, 1939.-—Tenders accepted for , boilerhouse. 5 .,,. . ■ .;,,-, March?14.—rDecide.d to" proceed with ■ blocks B, C, and D of new Centenary Hospital at Wellington. . - March 23. —Piling tender accepted for stores block. .April 17.—Tender accepted -for operating theatre at Children's . Hospital. . ] . ...-'.. THE MAIN CITY BUILDINGS. April 27.—Board reaffirmed plans for new nurses' home. ..» .. May 25. —Tender accepted for excavation of nurses' home, subject to Minister's approval: June 13.—Tender accepted for excavation of site -of blocks B, C, and D, subject to Minister's approval. June 27. —Unanimous decision to build 175 beds at Hutt, according to plans submitted at estimated cost of £435,000. June 27.—Tender accepted for piling of new nurses' home, subject to Minister's consent. August 31.—Tender accepted for piling of blocks B;. C, and D. September 28/— Maternity hospital established at Knight's Road, Lower Hutt. • October 26.—rTenders accepted for new nurses' home. November 16—Owing to urgent need for quick accommodation the board decided to build a 150-bed temporary hospital on the Hutt site rather than at;Newtown or Kilbirnie. THE HUTT HOSPITAL. November 30.—Health Department not agreeable to above proposal, and so decided to build Hutt Hospital to two storeys, and proceed with 120 beds at ,once as part of complete scheme. •December 18.—Tender accepted for stores block. Owing to Health Department's embargo on the nurses'! home it was decided to suspend piling on blocks B, C, and D. i January 25, 1940.—Health Departrnent advised the board that in view of the high costs-as revealed by the tenders, the board be advised to consider the plans further. February 6.—Sketch plans for 120----bed Hutt Hospital approved. "April 4.—Detailed plans to be prepared for 120 beds at Hutt;' estimated cost £254,250, including nurses' home. May 30.—Minister of Health declined to approve plans'for nurses' home as "structurally unsound"—although piling had already been approved and completed. Decided to call tenders for Hutt Hospital. Department again asked for a decision with regard to blocks B, C, and D. June 18.—Fletcher Construction Company's offer to build the Hutt Hospital at cost accepted. Exhibition Hotel purchased as additional nurses' home. June 27.—Minister of Health written to re blocks B, C, and D. August 29.—Public Works Department building 100-bed temporary ward at Newtown for soldier cases/ October 8. —Decided to make provision for tuberculosis an- 1 orthopaedic cases in separate new institutions: October 15. —Decided to provide an additional 90 beds in the first section of the Hutt Hospital, making the total 210. • "Since this date the board has inspected and prepared information relating to the proposed T.B. hospital site at Paekakariki, and are also receiving reports in reference to the site for an orthopaedic hospital," stated Mr. Carman. * "There are also under construction at the present time additional opei-ating theatres and an additional plaster room. "Contrary to public opinion a considerable amount of work has commenced and is proceeding, the only real hold-up being on the new nurses" home and blocks B, C, and D at Wellington. In both these cases the Department "of Health has accepted the blame, vide the Director-General of Health's letter to the ■ board, dated December 16, in which-he says: "'With regard to- the Centennial block, it is true .that the Department received the main plans and draft specifications on December 11, 1939. ; '. . The principal reason for the delay on the part of. this; Department, I must

admit, is that our examination of these plans has had to be placed aside owing to other demands. .. i The board's programme of works is an extensive one, and it should riot be overlooked that a great' deal of attention has been directed to works other than the Centennial block, an undertaking that will take some years to complete and does not, therefore, give the early relief that is needed in present conditions.'

"It is now March. 1941," Mr. Carman concluded, "and the board still has had no approval of the structural or detailed plans of blocks B, C, and D, for which the examinations • were completed twelve months ago."