NURSES’ ANNEXE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21899, 18 December 1945, Page 6

NURSES’ ANNEXE

ST. HELEN'S HOME

NEW ACCOMMODATION

BOARD’S DECISION

The acute position the Cook Hospital Board is in with regard to accommodation tor nurses led the board yesterday to decide to utilise St. Helen s Home. Childers road, as an annexe to the nurses’ home and to provide transport to and from the hospital tor the nurses.

This step, though it will not alleviate the position to any great extent tor over six months, owing to the fact that the home, having lately been used tor tubercular cases, will require a period of fumigation, will give some relief until the entire building can be made available for nurses’ living quarters.

A report of the available accommodation for nurses, compiled by the lady superintendent. Miss J. I. Martin, was tabled at yesterday’s meeting.

It showed that while the holiday season existed the position could be overcome by allowing rooms of those on leave to be utilised. This would end, however, in mid-January and the position of the staff of 146 nurses, with only 131 rooms available, and six nurses living out, was going to become a source of worry to the board unless measures were taken to overcome the difficulty. Accommodation For Eight The decision made by the board-will allow eight nurses to be accommodated in the nurses’ living quarters at St. Helen’s Home almost immediately. The tuberculosis patients were being moved to the new block at the hospital to-day, and this would permit immediate fumigation in readiness for the whole building becoming a nurses’ annexe. Commenting on the report, the managing secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, said that if the bus position was better and the nurses were able to get to the hospital at any time, some sisters would have preferred to live out. Mrs. E. R. Scott questioned whether suitable accommodation would then be obtained close enough to the hospital. The chairman, Mr. M. T. Trafford, stated that the Health Department would not allow pupil nurses to live out. Only staff nurses and sisters were permitted to live away from the hospital buildings.

Transport For Nurses

The provision of transport ror the living out nurses and sisters as an inducement for living out was the suggestion of Mr. H. H. Barker.

Mr. Trafford said that there were some who could quite well get board away from the hospital establishments. Mr. Barker: If you compel them to live out, they will hand in their resignations.

Mr. Trafford: But if there is no accommodation for them at the hospital? Mr. Barker: We’ve got St. Helen's. The tuberculosis patients will be moving out to-morrow into the new ward. The medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, said that Wellington and Auckland hospitals had experienced similar trouble. Wellington had secured a building where the Centennial Exhibition had been, and provided meals for nurses. Transport, of course, was not their trouble. There were trams and buses. Early Action Possible The position, he thought, could be met with St. Helen's and some transport system.

Mr. Barker moved that the managingsecretary be instructed to prepare a report for the next meeting on the possibility of using St. Helen's as an annexe to the nurses’ home and the arranging of a suitable transport service for the nurses.

Mr. J. H. Hall suggested that action might be necessary before the next meeting. This was thought probable, and Mr. Barker’s motion was amended accordingly. The board then went into committee, and as a result of a report by Dr. Hall, it was considered that at least eight rooms in the stai*' quarters would be available, with a kitchen. These could be used immediately, and the remainder of the home in about six months.

The motion was given unanimous support.