NEW HOSPITAL POLICY

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1925, Page 7

NEW HOSPITAL POLICY

PATIENTS TO BE CLASSIFIED. WELLINGTON, June 17. The Director-General of Health, in announcing the new hospital policy put forward by the Health Department, asked for the views of the medical profession. The New Zealand branch of the B.M.A. has not made any re. commendations. The interim report, which has been adopted with slight amendments by the Council of th? Association, ’recommended that public hospitals should bo so constituted as to be available for treatment L>r cverv member of the community. Patients should be divided into three classes, namely, those unable to pay for maintenance; those able to pay for medical attendance as well as maintenance. As regards a paying patient, the fee to be a matter between the patient ami his medical adviser. In the larger hospitals, as far as is practicable, the whole time medical superintendents should confine Hour duties to administration. Ir smaller hospitals, even if a<’ministrat 1 v-_> worl remains permanently in the homie oi (me man, the metlieal wards oi hospitals sir: 11 go io registered medic 11 proc, titioners in the district, who, :f they desire, shall atlimd their own patients in hospital, e.xcrpl such doctors, are found i-v the central cop! rolling board ‘ll be I ni sui t able. HOSPITAL LEVY BASIS. A I ’('K L \N 1L -I one 17 . Sir M . I’omare, replying to a lo< oi l»od\ ’s protest against the amount ot tb,.'hospital levy, said he was unable lo consider a suggestion that the le\\v should be made on a population basis, instend of a valuation basis, ’flu* mailer had been carefully considered on more than one occasion, ami the proposed remedy would not prove any fa irer i'ii operation . Tiie Hospital Board discussed a committee's proposal whereby able-bodied ; men seeking charitable relief, should be provided with temporary employment on Hospital Board property, be fore they received relief, which would b ( . based tin the work done. Members sympathised with the <»1» ject, but saw difficult ios, mainly industrial. The matter was referred ’o Ihe Building Committee for a report.