PART OR FULL TIME CONTROL

Evening Star, Issue 20483, 14 May 1930, Page 2

PART OR FULL TIME CONTROL

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL CONTROVERSY At the monthly meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board yesterday Mr Fenton moved—“ That Drs Radcliffe and Frengley bo given three months’ notice of the termination of their services as part-time, superintendent and part-time deputy superintendent respectively of the Be’ I ’’tha Hospital.’’ Mr Fenton said that he was convinced that the present method was not beneficial to their hospital, whereas everything ran very smoothly when they had a full-time superintendent. , When Dr Biggs asked to be allowed to open a private o™i«ulting room in Balclutha the board refused his request, and it was therefore hard to reconcile its action in adopting the present system. He thought that by appointing the two doctors as it had done the board had taken a retrograde step, and had reduced its status. Mr E, King seconded the motion pro forma. He did not agree with the mover that the present system of havr ing a part-time superintendent and deputy-superintendent was a retrograde step. On the contrary, he congratulated the board on having adopted it, and considered that it was in the best interests of the institutions under its control. Mr M'Gregor opposed the motion, and said that hospital policy was discussed recently at a conference of representatives of the various hospital boards, the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, the New Zealand branch of the Australasian College of .Surgeons, and the Department of Health The conference affirmed an opinion expressed at a former conference—namely, _ that hospitals had a definite duty in regard to post-graduate courses for medical men outside the hospitals for the sake of the health of the community. Among other recommendations, the conference also submitted fpr the consideration of hospital boards one which advocated that the medical attendance on patients should be in the hands of a visiting staff, with the assistance of a requisite number of resident medical officers. It was also recommended that the boards must determine the numbers of their visiting staffs, but that in arriving at a decision they should, consistent with the convenience and the smooth running of their institutions, appoint as many as possible of the medical practitioners residing .in the district. He contended that this* was substantially the administrative arrangement recently effected between the South Otago Board and Drs Radcliffe and Frengley and approved hjr the Director of Health. Bv putting the new system into practice they had virtually forestalled the official proclamation. Mr Christie said he considered that Mr Fenton was partly right, but a one-man hospital was a danger to the community. He would.like to see a system whereby a paid medical staff acted in conjunction with the local medical practitioners. Mr Hunter, as the mover of the motion that the present system should he adopted, said that now it was in proper working order he*had no reason to believe that the hoard had acted other than wisely in making the change., The motion was lost, only the mover voting for it. Mr Fenton also moved—" That the hoard advertise for a full-time medical superintendent at a salary of £BOO ~er annum, rising to £I,OOO in three years,” but the motion lapsed for want of a- seconder. A further motion—- “ That, should the board retain the services of Drs Radcliffe and Frengley, their salaries he reduced from £450 and £250 to £250 and £l5O respectively,” which was also moved by Mr Fenton, met with a similar _ fate, several members characterising his action in bringing the motions forward as a waste of the board’s time. Mr Fenton then gave notice that he would move at the next meeting—- “. That, as the South Otago Hospital Board , has vetoed its powers by adopting the policy of appointing a part-time superintendent and deputysuperintendent in placo_ of a super- ■ intendent, it dissolve in accordance with the Act and amalgamate with the Otago Board.”