HOSPITAL FEES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4988, 16 June 1926, Page 2

HOSPITAL FEES.

METHOD OF CHARGING PATIENTS,

DECISION OF THAMES BOARD. The method of computing the fees of hospital patients was discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Thames Hospital. Board, when the Director-Gen-eral of Health wrote drawing attention to the fact tha.t different practices were adopted by various boards in determining the days’ stay of each patient for the purpose of computing the. fees to be charged. Some boards included both the day of admission and the day of discharge, while others counted the days of admission and discharge as one day only for the purpose. It was agreed that uniformity in that respect wa.s desirable, both as between boards and the public, and it was suggested that an endeavour should be made to ascertain tiie; views oi' all boards concerned, with a view to a definite recommetodaltion being made. The board was. asked to indicate whether it favoured for account purposes the days of admission and discharge being counted as t.wo days, or as one day, and' if the latter, whether a minimum charge of £1 Is for a,dults and 10s 6d for children under 12 years of age should be made.

The chairman (Mr W. E. Hale) said that he favoured the day of admission and the day of discharge being counted as one day.

The secretary said that the; matter was a contentious one. The board was in the habit of charging two days.

It was agreed to recommend that one day be charged. Mr Danby said that the resolution did not tie the hands of the board until the Hospital Boards’ Association framed the regulation. The chairman a.greed that that was the position. It was also agreed to take no action in regard to the minimum charges.