Doctors Working Average Of 12 Hours A Day

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1947, Page 9

Doctors Working Average Of 12 Hours A Day

(P.A.5 AUCKLAND, This Day. ■■ The medical profession here strongly resents the recent statements by members of the Auckland Hospital Board, that some doctors are “not doing all the work for which they, are paid.” I One practitioner said: The sooner the board tackles its own problems and stops passing the buck, the bet-, ter.” . . * This summarised other practition-I ers’ comment. While none denied the board members’ allegations outright the majority made the point that it any doctors were “rushing througn their work,” they were in a very small minority. . x The majority of the doctors inter-| viewed said their waiting rooms were' so overcrowded with patients with serious complaints that they had not the time nor the facilities to deals with “panic-stricken individuals” i with minor ailments. These patients should be treated at a central' casualty department, efficiently organised by the Hospital Board itself. | It was claimed the board did not appreciate just how much the doctors were doing. They averaged 12 hours daily, sometimes working up to 16. They could not do more.