HOSPITAL FEES.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5534, 16 July 1920, Page 6

HOSPITAL FEES.

INCREASE PROPOSED BY CHAIRMAN.

OPPOSITION TO SUGGESTION,

—' MATTER- TO BE CONSIDERED FURTHER BY BOARD.

'‘That the scale of fees payable by ordinary patients shall be at the rate of 7s per clay, and that wherever the account is paid within 14 days from the date of discharge, a discount of Is per day be allowed.” This motion, of which notice had been given, was moved at yesterday’s meeting of the Cook Hospital Board by the chairman (Mr. 11. Ken way). He said the question was a very vexed one. It was considered by the Napier Board that it was necessary that the scale oi fees should be increased in oider to bring it up nearer to tl;e actual costs. The present fee at the Cook Hospital was. 4s per day, wnh. a ciscount of Is per day for paymiif within fourteen days while the average fees at other hospitals in the Dominion was 7s 3d. He did not want the fees unnecessarily high, but if was a fair thing to make people who could afford it pay for the benefits and care to be obtained at the hospital. The fees charged should be more nearly equal to the amount which it cost the ratepayers to run the hospital. The Cook Hospital 'fees were the lowest in the Dominion. The motion was seconded by Mr. C. Matthews, who said that the present scale of fees was ridiculous, as 9s 4d was the cost per patient, and an increase would not he a hardship j on anyone. . • Mr. G. W. Humphreys said that tlie cases of peonle in indigent cii • j cumstances would receive considers- j tion on their merits. -• j Mr. W. J. McCliskie was opposed to the motion. If patients cqukl be differentiated and charged for ac- 1 cordingly it would bo more satisfac | to.rv. . . - The chairman: That is what we : do. , ~, Mr. McCliskie added that he did not consider that •’> per cent, of the people who came to the hospital could afford to pay 7s per day. The chairman explained that, where people were ill poor circumstances they wore m,t asked for anything. Mr. R. Johnson alsc opposed the proposition aed remarked that the Cdok Hospital, with ii« low fees, collected more money than hospitals with high fees. , Mr. H. DeCosta said. that if the hospital were for charitable cases, the Board could not put up the fees to-7s. He considered that a statement of a person’s -financial position should be on eacli admission card. He hoped that no difference would be made with regard to friendly societies, as the Government expected that concessions would be made for friendlv societies. Mr. D. W. Coleman said that ne was in favor of free hospitals. An increase in fees would come very heavy on wage earners'- for it was the working class community winch used the hospital. ‘ . The chairman: YVe ire all worKors. Mr. Coleman: Some receive higher payment than others. He did nqt favor the discount system and he did not consider i.fie ir.s’itution a charitable one. . ~ Mr. C. Gibson pointed out that there was a considerable difference between the fees charged at the Cook Hospital and those at other . places. It was necessary to move with caution, but there was no doubt that tlie hospital was worth more than it was paid. He would support an increase, but perhaps not as much as the chairman suggested. The chairman said that he was prepared to mako the increase to os and leave out the part referring to discount. , . . ~ Mr. H. White did not favor the discount system, which he consideed ■was not right as far as the man who could easily afford to pay was court was eventually decided to adjourn the question until next meeting for further discussion.