STAFFING AND STORES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 June 1928, Page 11

STAFFING AND STORES.

HAWERA HOSPITAL COSTS. • REPORT REQUESTED. The higher cost iu salaries and wages incurred at the Hawera Public Hospital in comparison with other institutions of similar capacity was the subject of comment at the monthly meeting of the board to-day, and on the recommendation of the linance committee it was decided to request the Director-General of Health to permit the departmental inspector, Mr. F. J. Fenton, to visit the hospital and report on the staffing and store system. In explaining the reasons for the committee’s recommendation, the secretary (Mr. C. M. Haggett) said in respect of salaries and wages that the cost according to the daily average of occupied beds at the Hawera Hospital exceeded the average of the 24 hospitals having an average of 40 or more beds occupied daily. The average during the year 1926-27 was £76 Bs, but in Hawera it was £99 Bs, and for the year just ended the cost at Hawera was £lO3 10s. In 1926-27 the daily average of occupied beds at Hawera was 47; in 1927-28 it was 61. Mr. F. Gillanders: “I made a statement at a recent meeting showing where the expenditure had been incurred. It was mainly in regard to heating.” It had to be taken into consideration that the Hawera Hospital had 96 beds, continued Mr. Gillanders, and though the daily average of occupied beds was down to about 65 at present, the staff could not be reduced. He admitted he had difficulty in ‘‘getting down to where an expenditure of £235” had been incurred, but if it was justified during the last year’s service of the present matron’s predecessor, it would be justified to an even greater degree now when a bigger establishment was being maintained. Mr. M. 0. Crighton said that when the finance committee investigated the matter it was found that medical expenses were much on a par with other hospitals of like dimensions, and it was in respect of other maintenance details that the cost became comparatively high at Hawera. Mr. T. A. Winks remarked that the cost per occupied .bed at hospitals of similar size to Hawera, such as Ashburton, for instance, was £95 to £96.