HONORARY SURGEONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 December 1924, Page 8

HONORARY SURGEONS.

AND PUBLIC HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

SUBJECT BRISTLES WITH DIFFICULTIES. DUNEDIN, Dec. 20. “The whole subject simply bristles with difficulties,” said Mr. Knight (chairman of the Otago Hospital Board) when asked to express an opinion on the 'Cominissioner’s findings in connection with the case at Palmerston North Hospital, where an honorary surgeon had declined to operate on a patient. Mr. Knight said that a member of the honorary staff was really a servant of the Hospital Board, and he agreed with Mr. Page’s finding that the honorary surgeon should not have refused to operate because it was believed that the patient was in a financial jpidsition to pay for private treatment. It was recognised that every person within a hospital district was entitled to be " admitted, irrespective of means, but preference was given to patients who could not pay for privatemedical treatment. Patients before being admitted sign a declaration to the effect that they were unable to pay for Adequate private medical treatment.

Dealing, with Mr. Page’s suggestion that fees should be increased to cover the full cost of maintenance and treatment in hospitals, Mr. Knight emphasised the fact that of maintenance. per head for the year ended March 31 last ivas £4 4s per week, whilst the maximum -fee charged to patients was £3 3s. Personally, he was of the opinion, that fees should be increased, and that a- board should, retain the, power of remitting the shole or part of the fees according to tiie patient’s financial position. A senior member of the honorary medical staff of the hospital said: “The honorary medical staff are strongly of opinion, that patients who are in a position to pay for medical or surgical treatment, and can pay private hospital fees, should not be admitted to the Dunedin Hospital. In special cases where the need for radium or X-ray treatment necessitates the admittance of patients to the hospital, we feel that provision should be made for the admission of such patients by the. establishment of .private wards in connection with the Public Hospital on the Toronto system, where patients can pay for .tfeatrilen't by their private medical attendants. If the Government and the public insist on the admission of all patients regardless of their financial standing, the result will be that the public hospitals will lose the services of the honorary medical ‘staffs, who will have to be replaced Iw a few paid whole-time -men. This will not be in the interests of the indigent poor, as they will lose their right to the _ services of many highly-trained specialists. The only other alternative is that the present honorary medical staffs should receive reasonable payment for the time and service which are now freely and readilv placed at the disposition of the sick and poor of 'Otago.”