HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22571, 26 February 1948, Page 4

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

Sir.—May I take advantage of your assurance, that “there is freedom for all who wish to express their views within reason,’ to make brief comment on your editorial of yesterday

You say: “The public has no reason r.o lose confidence in their hospital.” 1 unreservedly agree and have so insisted throughout the discussion. My stand was actuated by the belief that this confidence would be maintained only if the public was assured that the board was not concealing the finding of an inquiry into a major complaint—that it was convinced that there was nothing to hide. Since the basis of the complaint was tairly widely known, I felt that the best and most effective answer to it was to reveal all the facts I still think so.

You comment, also, “that the members of the nursing stall have emerged with credit from the investigation.” Again, you repeat the very argument I advanced from the outset—that, in fairness to our nursing staff, the truth should be revealed and not concealed. At least I have the satisfaction of having brought about this disclosure.

Lest it might be inferred that I am a lone malcontent, may I point out that the original decision not to publish the finding of the complaints committee was reached only on the Casting vote of the chairman. Since then, in the light of experience and debate, the board, by a majority of eight to three, has decided that in future there will be no unnecessary concealment of the business conducted at the meetings of the board.

Finally, I cannot agree that there has been ‘heat and dissension" on the board. There has been an honest difference of opinion. I gladly pay tribute 'o the reasoned and reasonable manner in which those who disagreed with me expressed their views and I should like to feel that tne.y would return the compliment. ' 11. H. BARKER

|The primary purpose of the leading article was to clear up any misapprehension over press policy which our corespondent’s remarks may have created in the public mind. Hospital Board business concerning a private complaint into which members—'he elected representatives of the people —had made a satisfactory investigation was merely incidental to that explanation. Attention should be drawn to the fact, however, that Mr Barker claims the honours of debate when he states that the board, by a majority of eight to three, has decided that in future there will be no unnecessary concealment of the business conducted at meetings of the board. He ignores the fact that, having failed to make his own motion good in Monday's discussion, he compromised with the nine-to-two majority who rejected his charge and supported an amendement which specifically assured the public that “there has been and will be” no unnecessary concealment.—Ed. Herald.]