OUR HOSPITALS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 110, 9 April 1926, Page 6

OUR HOSPITALS

DR. MACEACHERN’S report. LESS BOARDS NEEDED. Dr M. T. MacEachern, who has com* plated his tour of inspection of the hospitals of New Zealand, announced yesterday that his detailed report would shortly bo in the hands of tho representatives of the British Medical Association, and would, on Ins recommendation, be handed to the press lor publication in toto. The report would bo under three heads: (1) Commendatory (2) deficiencies in tho present system; (3) recommendations. “A very satisfactory conference was held on Wednesday of representatives of the Department of Health, hospital boards and the British Medical Association ” stated Dr MacEachern.

“The outcome of the"conference was that the principle of co-operation among the three groups most immediately concerned in providing for more efficient service in tlie hospitals was unanimously agreed upon. Such co-operation as I had in mind, and suggested to the meeting, will tend towards unanimity of opinion on hospital policy. I suggested more frequent conferences among the representatives of tho three grohps, and took up tlie follow ing questions as affecting policy:“(1) The necessity for fewer hospital boards in tlie Dominion. In this connection 1 stated that I could sec no reason why they should want more than half the present number of hospital boards. , ~ “(2) I dwelt at length on the necessity lor some improvement in the stafiing of hospitals. In this respect I advocated one man doing both administrative and clinical work, and all hospitals carrying a complete staff. I urged that tho hospitals should take on their staffs as many doctors as possible practising in the community. “(3) I dealt also with the suggestion of community hospitals, and the adding of paying wards to the present hospitals. The principle advocated was unanimously approved. , “(4) 1 recommended that there should be some means of training hospital executives. This could readily be arranged to be done at tlie university and the metropolitan hospitals. These liosnital superintendents should devote their time entirely to hospital administration. “At the end of a lengthy discussion I again appealed for the utmost cooperation among the three groups more directly, concerned in the hospitals at present. With this co-operation and a uniform policy there would be no question about the future success of the hospitals of New Zealand. A further meeting will bo called by Dr Valintine (Director-General of Health) when the preliminary summary report is submitted.” Besides the more frequent conferences which Dr MacEachern recommended, and tho staffing of hospitals with as many outside doctors as possible, liis report would contain, he said, a recommendation that tho advantages of co-operation would be the better secured by representatives of the Medical Association being placed on the hospital boards. It would afford a better opDortunity for the interchange of viewpoints, thus often clearing up misunderstanding on both sides.

MEMBERS RESENT CRITICISM

Per Press Association. HAMILTON, April 8. Members of the Waikato Hospital Board to-day expressed satisfaction with the present system of hospital control. Despite the remarks made by' Dr M. T. MacEacliern, the visiting American expert, regarding the benefits of running hospitals with honorary staffs, members consider the existing system a better one. Speaking with reference to the remarks" Ji Sir Lindo Ferguson at the recent conference of Hospital Associations at Dunedin, that hospital boards were incompetent to select medical superintendents, several members of the board cited the position of the Waikato Hospital as an adverse commentary on Dr Ferguson’s assertion, and said that selections made by the Waikato Board of medical officers had given the utmost satisfaction. Dr Ferguson had met with a merited rebuke from the Minister of Health for his statement.