£18,551 MORE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4810, 14 July 1939, Page 5

£18,551 MORE

HOSPITAL REVENUE. SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME. WAIKATO BOARD'S ESTIMATE. LOCAL AUTHORITIES LEVIED. With the introduction of the social security hospital and maternity benefits, under which a guaranteed payment for each patient is made to hospitals by the Government, the Waikato Hospital Board is likely to receive £18,551 more from patients' fees than it estimated for the current year. Statements on the effect of the new legislation were made at the meeting of the Board yesterday, when contributing local authorities were levied according to the estimates prepared prior to the announcement of the details of the social securityscheme. The levies are approximately 41 per cent, higher than last year.

Maternity Fees.

Referring to the maternity treatment provided by the Waikato Hospital, Mr. Findlay said the Board had. in the past, received from £3 to £5 for each case, if it received anything at all. The Government was now paying the Board between £ll and £l3 for each maternity case, the payment being made from the social security fund.

Unless the hospital had to cope with a rush of patients, which was not likely to occur as the hospital was full at present, the Board's finances would reveal an excess of receipts of £18,551, although the exact position was difficult to estimate, as it could not be known what the future would hold.

Estimated collections under the social security scheme for maternity treatment from May 15, at an average of £lO for each case, were shown as £2120 from the Campbell Johnstone Ward, £IBOO from Rotorua, £IOOO from Te Kuiti, £I4OO from Matamata, £BOO from Huntly, and £6O from Kawhia, making a total of £7IBO.

£30,775 from the Fund.

The estimated collections from general hosiptal treatment under the Act from July 1 at 6s a bed a day was shown at £24,700 at the Waikato Hospital, £4850 at Rotorua, £IOOO at Te Kuiti, £IOO at Matamata, £25 at Huntly, £IOO at Kawhia, making a total of £30,775. Receipts from patients' fees to date, and as estimated under the new regulations to the end of the current financial year, amounted to £53,551, whereas the collections for the year as shown on the Board's previous estimates were £35,000. The estimated increase under the social security scheme was therefore £18,551. The increase in revenue as estimated in the statement was distributed as follows: Waikato Hospital, £10,800; Campbell-Johnstone Ward, £1584; Rotorua Hospital, £3638; Te Kuiti Hospital, £1161; Matamata Hospital, £916; Huntly Hospital, £425; and Kawhia Hospital, £27. Mr. S. C. B. Mackay commented that the Board would secure an extra Is lOd a bed a day. As the Board received approximately a pound for the subsidy from the Government, only one half of the hospital costs were borne by the contributing local authorities so that the saving to those bodies under the social security scheme would in future be approximately lid a bed, which would amount to approximately £9OOO a year.

Financial Difficulties.

"It appears as if we will have more people in the hospital, particularly while there are no benefits available for out-patients, who will naturally be anxious to secure a bed in the hospital," said Mr. J. Banks. "I can hardly see how we can gauge at this stage what effect the social security contributions will have on our finances." Mr. J. Price said he held out no hope for the Board saving anything under the social security scheme. Previous contributions to the Board on behalf of certain Rotorua Maori tribes, from the friendly societies and from the Returned Soldiers' Association would no longer be received by the Board. Furthermore, costs were increasing, as the finance committee knew full well.

"When it comes to the end of the year I think you will find yourselves in financial difficulties, with an excess of expenditure over the estimates," said Mr. Price.

The secretary replied that the previous income of the Board which would no longer be received had been taken into consideration in estimating the effect of the new scheme..