GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1944, Page 3

GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING

Mr F. J. Oakley presided over an attendance of the following members at a meeting of the Grey Hospital Board last evening:—Mrs D. Parfitt, Messrs W. Gutberlet, }V. Fisher J. B. Kent, W. H. Parfitt, A. Mosley, T. P. .Ryan, and H. G. Carter. C'cirtei' "The Medical Superintendent’s statistical report was as follows:—Patients remaining at end of July, males 66, females 55: Ol,d People's Home, males 22. females 3. Patients admitted during the month, males 99, females, 70; O.P.H males 2. Patients discharged during month, males 74, females 73. Patients died during the month, males 7, females 2. Patients remaining at end of August, males 84, females 50; O.P.H. males 24, females 3. Physiotherapy Department: Inpatients, 287: outpatients, 229; U.V.R., 30. Operating theatre: General, 86; orthapaedic, 14; E.E.T.N., 22; dental, 4. Bacteriological Department: Hospital examinations, 353; 0.P.D., 54; other hospitals, 26; miscellaneous, 17. Radiography Department: Inpatients X-rayed, 65; outpatients, 116; films used, 227; screenings, 9. Mcßrearty Ward: Patients remaining at end of July: Mothers, 13; babies 11; patient? admitted during the month, 30; confinements 32; patients remaining at end of August," 19; babies, 17; antenatal attendances, 127. The reports were adopted. On the recommendation of the Medical Superintendent and Matron Sister Henderson was appointed Sister-in-charge of Seddon Ward to replace Sister McNamara, who has resigned.

’The Director-General of Health advised that the entries for the 1944 post-graduate course close on October 8. The estimated expenses in connection with the course amounted, to £l5O. —The recommendation of Sister K. Sim by the Matron to take the course was adopted and the expenditure approved. INSPECTION OF HOSPITAL The Director-General forwarded a report by Miss Lambie on her visit to the Hospital as follows:—(1) Need for ward maintenance in the McBrearty and O’Brien Wards. (2) The need for improvement of the sluice and sterilising rooms which are, in the majoritv of instances, inadequate. (3) Necessity for provision of accommodation for isolation patients. At present the conditions are so unsatisfactory that it is considered they are detrimental to the health of the staff. (4) Additional accommodation in the Nurses’ Home to provide for at least 25 more bedrooms and two more sitting rooms will be required if the present additions over the Nurses.’ home kitchen are not continued. (5) The provision of a diet kitchen so that the nurses may have proper instruction as well as a better service. It is suggested that in the meantime O’Brien kitchen could be used. (6) An additional staff nurse should be appointed to the staff to assist the Tutor Sister. (7) It is most important that the position m regard to the lack of days off should be

improved. t The Secretary, in regard to No. b j in the report, said that an appoint- ( ment had already been made. ( The Matron said that in regard to , No. 7 the position had been improved t by securing assistance from the Civil Nursing Reserve. c It was decided to ask the Mmistei £ of Transport (Mr O'Brien) to advise . the Board as soon as possible when j a decision is reached regarding Me- f B r earty and O’Brien Wards. It w I stated that Mr O'Brien had inspected t the wards and had communicated t with the Minister of Healtn on the 1 Members discussed the Seddon. 1 Victoria and isolation ward condi- i lions, some- of which Mr Kent char- < acterised as “a menace” and wmeh Mr Ryan said would not be permitted - in*a hotel or private house.—lt was ■ decided to ask the Department oi • Health when the. plans for the new block would be finalised so that the Board would have an idea what temporary measures would have to be taken. QUOTATIONS RECEIVED Mr Soft eld (House Manager) presented quotations as requested by the Board following a report Irom tne Visiting Committee at a previous meeting. He said that suits which were expected about the middle ol the present month would cost Ub 10/9. Hats had arrived and hall ol them had been issued. They were costing 116/10 per dozen, plus sales tax. Quotations for socks were uO/a dozen, plus 10 per cent, sales tax, and 23/- a dozen, plus 10 per cent, sales tax. The Greymouth Borough Council had quoted £57 for one type of gas cooker and £lO9 for a double cooker. (These quotations were obtained in connection with, a proposal to instal a cooker in the Old People's Home). —The report was received. “How’s the milk, now?” asked Mrs Parfitt, addressing the House Manager. Mr Solicit! replied that the milkman had improved in regard to the time of delivery of the milk but not as much as he (the House Manager) would like. He was now coming be- 1 tween nine and 10 a.m., but he (the House Manager) would like him to come between eight and nine. The report was received. Tenders for the ensuing three months were accepted as follow: — Bread, Shannon and Glen; fish, Norcasa; meat, Mawhera Meat Co. An application for an increase in wages by the second laundress, Mrs E. Fraser, was discussed, and it 'was decided to pay her for all the overtime worked. The Westland District Progress League wrote stating that it had no intention of usurping the functions of I any local body, and asked that the Board support its representations for an investigation into the possibility of a deep-sea harbour for the West Coast.

Mr Kent said that the reason the Board did not join the League was that the Board represented - contributing local bodies. On the motion of Messrs Mosley and Ryan it was decided that the Board write to the Prime Minister, stating that it is entirely in support of the League's efforts to secure an investigation of deep-sea all-weather harbour possibilities on the West Coast.

A suggestion by the Director-Gen-eral -that where treatment is afforded a member of the nursing staff who has not established residence in the district no claim should be made on another Board under Section 92 was agreed to. The Director-General of Heal h wrote recommending that grants to nurses who contract tuberculosis should be at the rate of £1 a week. — The Chairman said that it had be in the practice of. the Board to make a grant at that rate.

The Secretary said that in the pc st the Board had made a grant of a round pound, but under the Directc ;- General’s recommendation the tax would be deducted.' If the amor it came out of charitable aid the tax would not be deducted. Acording to his reading of the Act the tax was not deductable, but the deduction was on an interpretation by the Commissioner of Taxes.

Mr Ryan considered that if a girl contracted any disease in the execu-

Ition of her duty she should be en- ) titled to compensation. i After further discussion it was decided to refer the matter of meinbers of the nursing staff contracting illness while in the service of Hospital Boards, to the Hospital Boards’ Association, with a view to ...having the amount of compensation payable increased. The Direc tor-General wrote asking that crutches or splints handed over by service patients should be returned to the clearing hospital, Wellington. The Secretary said that the appeal had been made in view of a shortage but the people who went out of the Grey Hospital did not return crutches and splints. He advertised some time ago for crutches and walking sticks to be returned, and received three walking sticks. It was decided to agree to a recommendation by the Works Committee of the Greymouth Borough Council that all charges in connection with the closing of portion of High Street should be borne by the Board. Mr Kent’s action in authorising the Board’s architect to discuss the plans for the second storey on the Nurses’ Home kitchen with the Public Works architect in Wellington was approved. Mr Kent said, after the Secretary had read various corresoondence from the Health Department and Ministers concerned on the subject, that there had apparently been some misconceptions about the structure, and he was satisfied that they would be rectified when the Board’s architect and the Department’s architect met.

VISITING COMMITTEE’S REPORT

' Mr Parfitt, lor the Visiting Committee, recommended the appointment of an extra porter on the staff so that a night porter could be employed.—On the motion of Mr Mosley it was decided to hold over the recommendation for further consideration, Mr Mosley stating that it had been his idea that there could be a reorganisation of the porters’ duties so that a porter could be employed at night, but without an addition to the staff.

The Visiting - Committee reported that in view of the stabilisation regulations it could not make any recommendation regarding an increase m the salary of the Matron of the Old People's Home, nor in the salaries of the nursing aides there. The Secretary said that the nursing aides would qualify for increased wages if they took the two-year course and qualified by examination. —lt was decided to advise the staff concerned to that effect. Messrs Kent and Ryan were appointed a visiting committee for next month.

Advice was received from the Hospital Boards Employers’ Union that the Secretary (Mr McKeefry) had been appointed as an assessor in the Engine Drivers’ and Firemen’s dispute.

ARMY CARS AND TRUCKS

PRIORITY SALES CRITICISED.

WELLINGTON, September 12. The Audit Department’s investigation into the disposal of Army vehicles is the subject of special mention in the report of the AuditorGeneral (Mr. C. G. Collins), in his report to the House of Representatives. , i “This investigation showed that 11 cars were disposed of to Army personnel under conditions which amounted to priority.” says the report. “The audit office was able to obtain valuations from two motor firms in respect of six of these cars, and these valuations were from £6O to £l5O in excess of the prices paid by the officers concerned,. There is also evidence that a truck purcnased by an Army officer was immediately resold through a dealer at a profit o<’ £lOO. The officers concerned submit that they purchased in good faith, and at prices fixed independently by persons who they had reason to believe were acting with lull and proper authority.” The report says that 300 Army C'cirs were sold in New ZeulQud. ioi £81.167, and 4522 trucks for £l,304,085, and expressed the opinion that it was of the greatest importance, when a large number of vehicles was to be disposed of, that tne basis of valuation should, be laid down, and that officers acting as disposal officers should have clear authority to act. These desirable conditions were not always complied with. The report quotes part oi a report, in the compilation of which an audit officer co-operated, covering an investigation of sales made at a large disposal centre. The report on the investigation said: “Before the vehicles could be valued the standardised basis of their valuation should have been agreed on. A motor vehicle may be valued in one of the following ways: (1) at cost less depreciation, having regard to the use and mileage; (2) at the current market price, where there is a ruling market price; (3) at a valuation based on the original retail price when new, less annual depreciation, having regard to the nature of the use .and mileage. It is emphasised that the investigation would have been materially simplified had the files contained records of the authorised appointment of the officials concerned, the policy in respect to the disposal and valuation of vehicles, and other matters relevant to the inquiry. The records of the valuations were mos.t unsatisfactory and the information contained in them scanty.”