PATIENTS’ FEES ANOMALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1941, Page 3

PATIENTS’ FEES ANOMALY

GREY BOARD URGES REPEAL

Section 92 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act provides that, when patients are transferred from one hospital district to another hospital district, the Board in the locality in which the patients reside has to pay whatever fees the Board in the other district cares to charge. As a result of patients being transferred to the Cashmere Sanatorium, the Grey Hospital Board is being mulcted in charges amounting to about £2OOO per annum, but it receives in connection with patients transferred to Greymouth only about £lOO per annum, there thus being a heavy debit balance. The Grey Board is urging that the section should be repealed. Reporting to last evening’s meeting, the Chairman (Mr J. Mulcare) said that, acting on the Board’s instructions, he visited Wellington, but was unable to see the Minister of Health, who was away in Auckland. Their secretary (Mr J. E. A. McKeefry) had done a thorough job of spade work. He communicated with 42 Boards, and received the support of ‘37 of them for the petition to the Minister, urging the repeal of Section 92. Mr Mulcare said that he interviewed Departmental officers, including the Secretary, the Deputy Direc-tor-General, the Director of the Division of Hospitals, and the chief accountant, and found that thev were hostile to the petition. That made him feel it would be rather unwise to remain in Wellington and wait for the return of the Minister. He thrashed the matter out pretty thoroughly with the officers concerned, and also with Messrs O’Brien and Webb. He interviewed the latter two Members because he felt it was inadvisable, in view of the hostility of the Departmental officers, to leave the making of the Board’s representations to them. So far as the Department was concerned, he believed they were not concerned as to whether they were paying major or smaller Boards. The Departmental officers had been astonished at the work done by Mr McKeefry, when telegrams and letters from other Boards were presented. These were left with Mr O’Brien, and Mr Webb was going to work in conjunction with him. The Departmental officers expressed the opinion that, as the matter was one of policy, the Minister would not give a definite answer. The repeal of the section had been refused by two previous Ministers in the present Government. However, the present Minister’s district was not large, s.nd he might look at the matter in a different way. It was hoped that he would give it favourable consideration. One thing would please the Board —apart from the compliments paid to its secretary—and that was that the Deputy-General and his assistant said that the people in the Grey district were in a far more happy position than almost any other smaller district in the Dominion. They said that the Medical Superintendent at Greymouth was, in their opinion, doing his job splendidly, and that .the surgery was equal to that of any major hospital. For that reason, the people of the Grev area had little cause to complain, and little reason to go to a major hospital, unless they were sent there by the Medical Superintendent. ‘ The secretary read a letter • from the Minister, acknowledging the Board’s statement and the telegrams from other Boards. The case for the repeal of Section '92 would receive his early consideration. After he had discussed the matter with Cabinet, he would again communicate with the; Board. The letter was dated July, 23. Mr O’Brien advised that the Minister Had informed him that it was a policy matter, and would have to be dealt with by the Government. The Chairman: That is all we can do now. Mr Webb has promised to assist Mr O’Brien, in doing what we desire. . „

The secretary said he had received numerous letters from other Bbards, wanting to know what had happened. They were very interested in the matter. The Chairman said he was told in Wellington that the Board’s secretary had made a better effort than the Hospital Boards’ Association. Mr J. Smeaton said that the AssoJciation’s executive was not favourable to the proposal. . I Mr H ,G. Carter: They represent the I bigger Boards. I Mr A. Mosley moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Secretary. .also to Messrs O’Brien and Webb. The motion was seconded by Mr Smeaton, and carried.