THE HOSPITAL.

Evening Star, Issue 12768, 22 March 1906, Page 1

THE HOSPITAL.

PLANS FOR THE NEW WING. TRUSTEES AND MEDICAL STAFF. ■ _ At yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Dunedin Hospital Irustecs tenders were received for the new wing to be added to the hospital, ni accordance with plans prepared' by Messrs Mason and. Wales and approved of by the .Trustees, . The Chairman • (Mr Peter Miller) stated,..that the. time for the closing of tenders had been extended by liim to yesterday, when those received would bo opened. He mentioned’ that- it had been arranged that a deputation from the Iron, medical- staff, consisting of Drs Barnett, Batchelor, and Roberts,. was to wait on the Trustees that afternoon to work out a comprehensive scheme for hospital improvements, as well as to urge that a separate banking account should be kept for the fund arising from the payment of students’ fees. The arrangement for the deputation that day had, however, fallen through; Mr Tapper: The Trustees, should meet the staft before tenders are opened; otherwise they might suggest trivial, alterations. Dr Riley; Surprise has been expressed that the 'preliminary plans were approved of by the Trustees witlxout their being submitted to the medical staff. Mr Wills: Three members of the medical staff and three of the Trustees went over the plans and approved of them. They were signed by all these then present except Dr Barnett. • r All- Solomon; The ground plan was signed, but tho detailed. plan was not. Tire Chairman: The medical staff are not tho Building Committee of the hospital. They are not represented on the Building Committee. Mr Solomon : Every opportunity should be given to the medical staff to approve finally of the plans. They must know more about it than we do. .Mr Wills; No, no. Mr Solomon: I think they do. The Chairman explained that that morning he had been at the hospital and had spent some time in consultation with the doctors over the matter. Mr Solomon : Why don’t tho Trustees do that? the Chairman; I happened to be here this morning. Mr Solomon: Why didn’t the Trustees know anything of this? The Chairman: There has been free access to-the plans since last Monday night, Air Robin, said that the doctors had no right to act as a Building Committee. The Trustees had no desire to cast any slight on the staff, but it was unreasonable for the doctors and the staff, to ask the Trustees to make alterations in the plans. Air Tapper said that some months three members of the medical staff and three of the Trustees had been appointed a committee to deal with this matter. Air bolomon: I think for our own protection that we should be quite satisfied that there is nothing further for the staff to recommend. If we don’t see our way to do it, well and good—no harm is done. Air Wills: It is just the old story over again—whether the Trustees are -to rule the staff or the staff to rule the Trustees. Air John 'Mill;: I understand that the plans have been.submitted,' and that the specifications have been drawn up, and it will be some expense to alter anything. Several Trustees; Nothing has been accepted yet. In reply to a question put by the Chairman, the Secretary (All- Burns) said that no objections had been raised by the staff m regard to the plans, except one in connection with the propo&el heating-system. Dr Riley: I attended a meeting of the medical staff about, two or three weeks ago. The staff then understood that at the last meeting of the Trustees plans had been put before us and finally approved. Some surprise was expressed that tenders should have been called for without the plans having been also approved by the staff. The secretary of the staff was instructed to write to the secretary of the hospital asking whether it would be possible to have a meeting before the plans were finally approved and tenders called for. Air Wills : Why did they sign the plan? The Chairman; Has no letter been received? The Secretary: Yes. Air Solomon asked why the letter had not previously been read to the Trustees. The Chairman replied that the Trustees were considering other correspondence, and the letter woitTtl have been read in due course. The following letter from Dr Pitchett, hon. sec. to, the hon. medical staff, was then read:—“l have been instructed by the hon. medical staff to" write to the Trustees pointing out ’that the finished plans for the new ward have not been submitted to the Building Committee of the staff, and to request that a meeting of the full Building Committee be convened.” The Chairman; There never "was such a Building Committee. Air Solomon : They have a Building Committee of three members of the Trustees aud three members of the medical staff. Air Wills; But we called for tenders on the plans approved. Mr Solomon: No. You approved the ground plan, and called for tenders on ihe other more detailed plan. Air Tapper; I move that the opening of tenders be delayed until the request of the staff has been complied with, and that we hold a. meeting at an early date—say tomorrow. Mr Solomon; I second that. The Chairman; Let us have a clear -understanding. Do you recognise the members of the staff ore members of the Building Committee? Air Wills: Hear, hear. Mr Solomon; We have no such thing as a Building Committee. Tho Chairman: Yes we have. The doctors have asked for three to confer with the Building Committee. Air Solomon : I suggest that tenders be not opened until there is a meeting of our Building Committee and ihe three members of the medical staff. A Trustee (to the chairman): You Lave no objection to that? The Chairman : I have, no objection ' to anything. I think the staff have no right to b.e members ’of the Building Committee of this hospital. . I don’t object to their getting any information possible. After further discussion Messrs Aliller, Tapper, and Wills, as members of the Building Committee, were appointed to confer with three .representatives of the medical staff,a (The^thrscmembers of the medical staff appointed some time ago by the medical staff as their Building Commit-

tee were Drs Lindo Ferguson, Oolquhonn, add Gordon Macdonald, .the last mentioned of whom has since .resigned.his position on the medical staff.)