TOO MANY VISITORS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 39, 15 August 1944, Page 6

TOO MANY VISITORS

HOSPITAL WORK IMPEDED The chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board, Mr. H. F. Toogopd, has asked friends of patients in the hospitals to give thought to the difficulties under which the medical and nursing staffs are working, and to reduce the number of their visits, which now constitute what he has described as a "public invasion" of the wards. "With the limited staff available, said Mr. Toogood, "an excessive number of visitors adds-an intolerable burden on to the already overworked nurses, and, unless the public will voluntarily refrain from excessive visiting of patients, the administration will have to use some rather drastic measures which may, in some directions, cause unpleasantness. This can be avoided if the friends of patients will, in kindness to the staff and to sick patients, refrain from unnecessary visits." THREE THOUSAND VISITORS. Mr. Toogood stated it was estimated that up to 3000 visitors entered the wards on some visiting days, and, in addition to other unsatisfactory results, such an influx had a decidedly adverse effect on the more seriously-ill patients: at times there would be half a dozen friends around one bed, without regard to the condition of nearby patients. When sound reasons for doing so existed no one would be, or should be, deprived of the privileges, in moderation, of visiting sick relatives, and at all times of crisis the nursing staff would continue to call relatives to the bedside; that kind of visiting was not in question. The appeal was made in respect to other cases and to avoid the wards being invaded by friends who did little good to those visited and some harm to others-

Several methods of control had been tried, but with the present depleted staff they had not been effective and, if the public continued to exploit this situation, the next step must be a drastic one and some cases of hardship would be inevitable.

"I hope," concluded Mr. Toogood, "the public and relatives will take a common-sense view of the matter and voluntarily refrain from making unnecessary visits; that would be much more pleasant for all concerned."