HOSPITAL ESTIMATES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 117, 17 April 1934, Page 2

HOSPITAL ESTIMATES

COMING YEAR’S EXPENDITURE. BOARD SURVEYS COSTS. Maintenance estimates providing for an expenditure of £60,453 7s 9d, compared with £54,177 Is lOd last year, were adopted by the Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday afternoon. Capital expenditure of £4758 13s was also approved, making a total of £65,212 Os 9d. Towards this amount the local bodies will be called upon to contribute £23,995 2s 9d, which shows an increase of £3968 11s 6d over the share they bore in the preceding financial year. The expenditure allocations for tlie coming year were .subjected to the closest scrutiny by the hoard. Mr J. Iv. Hornblow presided, others present being Messrs A. E. Mansford. J. Hodgens, It. L. C. Aitchison, V. E. Smith, G. A. Monk, O. McElroy, D. Collis, W. Howell, L. T. McLean, M. A Moody, F J. Ryder and G. P. Catley. Capital works provided for in the estimates adopted are paths and roadways £2OO, motor truck £375, improvements to milk supply facilities £75, new padded cell £2OO, re-roofing fever ward building £l2O, now garage £2O, and miscellaneous £IOOO. Towards the total capital expenditure the board expects to receive £2379 6s 6d in Government subsidy. The estimate for maintenance costs provides for an income of £20,350 in receipts from various sources, £21,515 16s Id from the levy on Local bodies, and £18,587 11s 8d in Government subsidy, making the total of £60,453 7s 9d. Last year the hoard’s total income was £60,879 14s 7d. Estimates, with appended commentby the managing-secretary (Mr A. J. P.hillipps) were adopted as follow : MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS. Voluntary contributions and bequests. (Estimate last year £IOOO, actual receipts £299 4s 6d, proposed estimate £300). —This item consists chiefly of donations from the District Nursing Committees for maintenance of district nurses. The estimate last yea.r was placed at £IOOO as it will be remembered that it was suggested that we should hold a Hospital Day throughout the district. However, owing to the continuing necessity for relief appeals and to the fact that the Relief Committee’s queen carnival had just been completed before Christmas, nothing was done to promote a Hospital Day during the past summer and the outlook now is, to my mind, definitely worse than it was a yeai ago as regards the possibility of any such effort yielding any substantial result. Patients’ payments (estimate last year £17,000, actual receipts £l/,090, proposed estimate £18,000). Comment on this item appears elsewhere in this issue. . . ■ Charitable aid recoveries.—(Estimate last year £1.200, actual receip s £1359, proposed estimate £120*3). actual receipts for the past j-ear exceeded the estimate owing to £BO being paid in advance for one patient s maintenance and the fact that there were a few more pensioners m the Awapuni Home than were anticipated. The estimate of £I2OO is based on the number of pensioners in the Home at the present time. Bacteriological laboratory fees (Estimate last year £450, actual receipts £383 19s 3d, proposed estimate £400). —The fees earned by the laboratory and sales of sera during the past year amounted to £424 16s lOd as against £373 7s 4d for the preceding year. The estimate of £4OO for the coming year is an average of the past two years’ working. Awapuni farm receipts (Estimate last year £250, actual receipts £ls' 3s 3d, proposed estimate £lso).—lbis item consists of receipts from the sale of surplus farm produce. Miscellaneous receipts (Estimate last year £450, actual receipts £260 14s 7d proposed estimate £3oo).—This item provides for receipts not classified in any other source. The receipts for the past year include £U)U a special grant from the department in connection with the Otaki Sjinatorium. This is a recurring item. I do not estimate that miscellaneous receipts this year will exceed £MU. Last year this item was over-estimated. MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS. Bank overdraft (Estimate last year £6289 6s 7d, actual expenditure £6418 16s 2d, proposed estimate £/i2l 15s 3d). —The difference between the bank overdraft at the beginning of the year and the actual liability met is due to the fact that during the year the trust account was created and the balance of the trust account had previously reduced the overdraft at March 31 1933. The amount estimated is the overdraft at March 31, 1934. The trust account is not part of receipts and payments for estimate purposes. Palmerston North Hospital and Maternity Home maintenance (Estimate last year £27,000, actual expendituie £30,154 8s lOd, proposed estimate, £3o,ooo).—For surgery and dispensary, allowing for the increased exchange, the expenditure is almost exactly the same as in the past year. The surgery and dispensary expenditure per occupied bed for hospitals of over HO beds in accordance with the latest published return is as follows: Auckland £lß.l, Christchurch £14.0, Wellington £31.8, Waikato £12.4, Dunedin £14.7, Palmerston North £l3 7, New Plymouth £14.8, tv anganiii £20.3. With increasing demands for outpatient service in the nature of the supply of medicines to relief workers and destitute persons a definite increase has taken place in the work of the dispensary during the year. This, of course, is a direct result of the present economic conditions. As regards domestic and establishment items, £7984 was spent on this section last year. This item includes the cost of laundry, heating and lighting, ambulance service, grounds, maintenance of buildings and renewals’, and repairs of all domestic appliances and equipment. Since 1931, gradually we have been raising the efficiency of our fuel system by experimenting on improving steam traps and by the necessary steps to cut down steam waste to a minimum. The engineer (Mr Furneaux) is deserving of credit for the results obtained Otaki Hospital maintenance (Estimate last year £7OO, actual expenditure £935 5s Bd, proposed estimate £BOO).—A further reduction has taken place in the Otaki Hospital maintenance this year, the amount spent during the preceding year being £llO3 13s Bd. When last year’s estimates were under consideration it was considered that approximately £2OO would be saved at the hospital owing to this board having taken over the Otaki sanatorium and the reduction

in expenditure is almost entirely due to tliis. A further saving was contemplated, hut numerically there has been no reduction in the staff though one sister has been replaced by a junior probationer. The estimate will have to be retained at £BOO this year, as part of the painting work to be undertaken at Otaki will be chargeable against this item. Otaki sanatorium maintenance (estimate last year £6OOO, actual expenditure £6199 Is lid, proposed estimate £6500). —Last year’s estimates were framed on the basis that the average number of patients would be 50 and the cost per occupied bed £l2O. The average number was 56.1. The results achieved at the Otaki Sanatorium as regards a reduction in costs have exceeded the estimates which were prepared before we took over. The increase in the estimate for the sanatorium is being allowed in view of the fact that it appears likely that the sanatorium will be full ail this year. Charitable relief (Old People’s Home maintenance, estimate last year £1750, actual expenditure £lsßl 10s lid, proposed estimate £1700).- —Comment on this item appears elsewhere. Charitable aid, outdoor (estimate last year £3OOO, actual expenditure £3849 17s Id, proposed estimate £4000). —Comment on this appears elsewhere. District Nursing (estimate last year £6OO, actual expenditure £696 12s 9d, proposed estimate £750). —The board is now employing three district nurses, one at Palmerston North, one at Shannon and one at Feilding. Subsidies towards these nurses are received from the local committees as follow: Palmerston North £BO, Shannon £BO, Feilding £9O. Administration (estimate last year £IBSO, actual expenditure £1947 10s 4d, proposed estimate £1900). —The administration expenditure has been reduced each year since 1930. The following are the figures:—l93o-31, £2496 8s; 1931-32, £2168 2s 2d; 193233, £1977 15s 4d; 1933-34, £1947 10s 4d. I would point out, however, that a considerable amount of night work is being done by the office staff. With the present staffing this cannot be avoided, as records must be kept up-to-date, and to keep up the collections of patients’ fees to the same level a considerable amount of extra work has to be done than was the case a few years ago. Maintenance of Patients in other institutions (estimate last year £1750, actual expenditure £3291 4s lid, proposed estimate £2500). —The payments during the past year exceeded the estimate, as apart from a considerable amount which was owing at the beginning of the year the numbers in the Pukeora sanatorium were in excess of expectations. At the present time there are seven patients in the Pukeora sanatorium. In addition it will be remembered that this board has paid the Wellington Board during the year approximately £SOO for treatment. Interest on Loans (estimate last year £3750, actual expenditure £3988 2s, proposed estimate £3500). —This amount is required to provide for interest due on loans, with an allowance of £4OO for bank overdraft interest. Last year the bank overdraft interest amounted to over £6OO, but as these estimates will enable us to get rid of our overdraft during the year, the provision of £4OO will be sufficient.

Board’s Contribution to National Provident Fund (estimate hist year £2OO, actual expenditure £176 _lss lOd, proposed estimate £400). —This item provides a statutory subsidy on superannuation contributions. Last year’s figures were low owing to resignations where there were withdrawals of contributions, with resulting credits in reduction of this board’s superannuation subsidy. The amount required this year is approximately £4OO. Refund to Government to Adjust Subsidy (proposed estimate £lßl 12s 6d). —The average subsidy for the Dominion for the iiast year worked out at 20s 2d and the refund to lie made this year is necessary to adjust that rate to £1 for £l. " This statutory refund is spread over all boards in proportion to valuation. Last year the amount was £337. Awapuni Fanil Maintenance (estimate last year £7OO, actual expenditure £7OB 5s Bd, proposed estimate £700). —Charging milk at prices previously mentioned and writing down live stock by over £IOO, the farm this year shows a working surplus of £137, against which interest and depreciation £3OO has to be charged. Miscellaneous Payments (estimate last year £250, actual expenditure £594'75, proposed estimate £100). As regards the proposed estimate, this includes two annuities to former servants of the board, and a payment of £IOO per annum as subsidy to a private hospital at Otaki. The amount spent during the past .year included No. 5 wages not refunded by the Government as at March 31. The provision of £4OO this year should be sufficient. CAPITAL ESTIMATES'. Tlie expenditure items are ns approved by the board at its last meeting, with the exception that £IOO has been added for miscellaneous items to allow for the purchase of some minor items of x-ray equipment and instruments, and that the amount provided for sinking fund instalments is £IBB9, considerably less than was mentioned last month. This is due to the fact that, after a consultation, the Public Trustee has agreed to allow the present overdue debenture amounting to £4OOO to be included in the conversion scheme. As members are aware, our conversion scheme has been under consideration for the past year. The reason why it has not been finalised sooner is that tlie Public Trust Office considered that one of the loans, which. is the subject of a mortgage, could not be included in the scheme. Legislation was secured during the past session of Parliament making such loans subject to conversion, and now our conversion scheme will proceed, the Public Trustee having consented to the overdue debenture being brought in. If this had not been done, half tlie amount —£2000—would have been added to the capital levy this year.