“STAGGERING CLAIMS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1947, Page 6

“STAGGERING CLAIMS”

PATIENTS AND RADIUM TREATMENT PROTECTION FOR HOSPITALS? (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Feb. 6. • “Some staggering claims byt patients have been made against hospital boards after the use of radium, and it is about time we let patients know that it is a drastic cure for a drastic disease,” declared Mr. H. F. Toogood (Wellington), at the Hospital Boards’ Conference to-day. “We label a bottle of poison prominently; and we should also label radium for what it really is.” Mr. Toogood presented the following remit from Wellington, which was adopted by the conference: “That all hospital boards supplying X-ray or radium treatment be urged to bring to the notice of patients the fact that there are risks associated with such treatment. Further, that printed instructions be handed to each patient, who should be required to sign a declaration. “It is not intended that the signing of such a declaration should protect the board from action in the event of negligence on the part of the staff, nor attempt to deprive the patient of this right of action should actual negligence occur. It is desired, however, that a board should take all possible steps to protect itself from actions at law in respect to untoward effects which may occur as incidental to treatment properly prescribed and correctly administered.”