AMBULANCE CHARGES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 117, 18 April 1939, Page 7

AMBULANCE CHARGES.

BOARD'S POSITION. CHANGED POLICY NECESSARY. “When the hospital benefits under the social security scheme are introduced it will not he possible for this board to continue its policy of charging for ambulance transport as we will not then he collecting from our in-patients the necessary information as to circumstances to enable us to collect hospital accounts.” Thus reported the managing-secretary (Mr A. J. Phillipps) to the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday. “It is understood that at a later stage ambulance benefits in general will he introduced as one phase of the ;ncial security scheme. It is to he anticipated that greater use will ' be made of the ambulances in the near future, and it is expected that the Government, in assessing the fee to ho paid for in-patient maintenance, will take into consideration the fact that those hoards providing ambulance services will 1)0 no longer charging for them.

“The Palmerston North ambulances last year attended to 679 calls and travelled a total of 20.193 miles. In the estimate this year I have allowed for the employment of a further driver and estimated a further increase in the work.”

The hoard approved of an estimate of £llsO for the ambulance service which last year cost £865 4s 9d.