HOSPITAL STAFFS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 55, 3 September 1945, Page 7

HOSPITAL STAFFS

RELIANCE ON DIRECTION

Commenting on the report of the discussion at Thursday night's meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board regarding the shortage of kitchen staff and the suggestion that food services would have to be curtailed, the Controller of Man-power (Mr. H. L. Bockett) said he was surprised to read that reference had been made to only one small portion of his letter to the secretary of the Hospital Board, and that'no mention had been made of the fact that an assurance had been given that six girls would be made available by September 3. On receipt of a letter dated August 15 from the secretary of- the Hospital Board advising that six kitchenmaids were urgently required, the matter was taken up with the District Man-power Officer, and arrangements were made to fill the vacancies notified. In view of the inference that the need to reduce food services was due to the Department's failure to supply adequate kitchen- staff, the Controller quoted his letter to the board advising that nine girls had been directed to take up duty as kitchen maids on September 3, and assuring that at least six girls would be available. The letter added: "I am advised by the Dis.-rict Manpower Officer that since receipt of your letter of June 6, 23 girls have been effectively directed to the Wellington Hospital, and while 19 have been permitted to terminate on various grounds, leaving a net gain of only four, it would appear that some of the difficulties to which you refer in your letter of August 15 could have been alleviated by allocating these additional employees to kitchen duty. While the Man-power Officer directs girls to the hospital as domestics, the allocation of such girls as kitchenmaids, wardsmaids, or housemaids is a matter for your staff to determine, and I would earnestly suggest that this particular aspect of your staffing organisation should be looked into with a view to ensuring that the available staff is being employed to the best advantage.

"It would also appear from the tenor cf your recent communications to the District Man-power Officer that your board is relying- entirely on this Department to satisfy your staffing requirements by oompulsory direction. As you are aware, man-power controls have recently been relaxed to a considerable degree, and while it will be necessary to -etain the present controls for a further period if hospitals and other vital services are to be adequately staffed, you will no doubt agree that the time has now arrived when your board should give serious consideration to the matter of securing staff on a voluntary basis."