NET BED COSTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 53, 13 February 1934, Page 8

NET BED COSTS

HOSPITAL FINANCE

Figures for Dominion

WAIPAWA BOARD SECOND The annual report on New Zealand hospitals, as prepared by the Department of Health is now to hand. This report gives some very interesting information, both as regards statistics and finances. It will be remembered that in the previous year, the Dora inion lowest net bed costs were shown by Waipukurau Hospital, Hamilton Hospital being second and Christchurch Hospital being third. For the past year, first place, was gained by Christchurch, second place, being obtained by Waipukurau, whilst. Invercargill Hospital just beat Hamilton for third place. As three years ago Waipukurau also gained second position, the returns conclusively prove that the Waipawa Hospital Board ratepayers have indeed every reason to be pround of the economical way in which the Waipukurau institution is being conducted. This remark also applies to the Rathbone Maternity Hospital, which in the previous year occupied third position to Matamata and Greymouth Maternity Hospitals, whilst this year of the 42 maternity hospitals, it is once again in third position, Greymouth being first with Matamata second.

The net bed costs represent the amount, which has to be found for hospital maintenance by the tax-payer—--1.0., the finance contributed by levies and subsidies. It. is arrived at by first of nil taking the gross maintenance cost per occupied bed and deducting therefrom the fees received per occupied bed. The following return sets out the results in order of merit of the 25 New Zealand public hospitals showing a daily average of over 40 occupied beds:— Net Cost

Beds per Bed Occupied £ 1. Christchurch 367 77 0 Waipukurau 75 88 3. Southland 106 89 4. Hamilton 249 90 5. Auckland 582 04 6. Palmerston North 1S2 08 7. Oanmrn 1 70 99 s. Palelutha 42 100 9. Whnn crnrei 84 100 in. Now Plymouth 162 102 ii. Hnwcra 60 102 12. Thames G5 103 13. Ashburton ' rt5 104 14. Mastorton 70 105 15. Waimati 40 ins 16. Dannevirkc 55 109 17. Grev 03 118 18. Timarn 01 120 in. Dunedin 244 124 20. Westport 40 129 21. Wellington 343 130 22. Wanganui 116 141 23. Gisborne 105 148 24. Blenheim 56 149 25. *Nnpier 80 163 * Napier figures are not a true comparison as the institution had not fully recovered from the earthquake period.