Has Matter Now Ended?

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7136, 20 April 1933, Page 7

Has Matter Now Ended?

Recent Troubles at Palmerston North Hospital

NEW SISTERS APPOINTED

Events prior and subsequent to the resignations of six sisters at the Palmerston North Hospital were again discussed by the board at its monthly meeting yesterday, when appointments were made to fill the vacancies. The matter was raised when the minutes of the last meeting of tho board were before members for confirmation.

“The minutes as they stand,’’ said Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., “give a bald statement of the position, but i am not suggesting that anything has been left cut.’’ Mr, Nash added that he had attended a meeting of the executive on the morning of the last board meeting and had listened to the statements made then in regard to the inquiry held by the chairman, and other matters. As a result of this discussion and that later at the board meeting, he had formed his own judgment as to the proper course to adopt. The sisters had resigned and their reasons had been stated before the chairman.

The chairman (Mr. J. K. Hornblow); “I don’t know whether you are in order. The matter before us is the accuracy of the minutes or otherwise:’’

Mr. Nash: “Will we have an opportunity to discuss the matter?’’

Mr. A. E. Mansford suggested that the question be considered later in the meeting, and to this the chairman

agreed. “I want to warn members,” said Mr. Hornblow when tho matter was again brought up, “that in discussing this problem they should keep within reasonable bounds. I hope you will not refer to matters which have been dealt with in committee.”

Was Meeting Misinformed? Mr. Nash said he was of the opinion that it was the duly of the sisters 1o have made application to the board for an inquiry, which he was sure the board would have granted. Instead of that, they had taken the bull by the horns and resigned. Then the board had been informed that the sisters had gone over the heads of tho board and had communicated with the department. The speaker had considered that wrong and that the sisters had acted unwisely. Since tho meeting he had ascertained that all the sisters had done was to write to the department for testimonials and that no reference had been mado to the trouble at the institution. If that was the case, surely the sisters had not let the board down in any way.

Mr. Nash added that even if he had been in possession of this information at tho last meeting, he would not have supported Mr. .Aitehison’s proposal that the sisters should be asked to withdraw their resignations, but he would havo supported a request made to tho meeting that an inquiry be held. For tho sake of discipline at the hospital it would have been impossible to ask the sisters to withdraw their resignations. The speaker had been connected with the board for 25 years and it was the first time in his experience that any trouble like that under review had

arisen. “I am not suggesting,” Mr. Nash concluded, “that the chairman purposely misled the board, “but tho impression I gained from his remarks was that the sisters had asked the department for an inquiry.” Mr. Hansford said it appeared to him that a big factor that was in the minds of tho sisters was the reference that they would get from the matron. Tho speaker had been told that a reference from the matron of a hospital carried more weight than one from the medical superintendent or anyone else concerned with the institution. He understood that the sisters were told that they were not going to get a reference and that they then wrote to tho department asking whether tho matron would be within her rights in withholding references. He further understood that the sisters were informed that the matron would be within her rights in so acting. That probably unset. them and caused them to act in the manner they did. It had been known, by officers of the board prior to the trouble coming to a head that there was friction, and lie felt that something should have been done to smooth over the difficulties. He was under the impression that the chairman had said that the sisters had gone over tho heads of the board for an inquiry.

The New Appointments. In regard to the appointment of sisters to replace those who had resigned, Mr. Mansford said that the statement circulated by the chairman to members since tho last meeting of the board said that tho appointments had been made in the usual way. Reading the by-laws of tho board, Mr. Mansford said the appointments apparently had to be made by the board itself. Tho managing-secretary (Mr. A, J. Phillipps) said the appointments recommended were to be placed before the board for confirmation. Mr. Mansford: The chairman’s statement said the sisters had been appointed in the usual way.

Mr. W. Howell: I don’t know where this discussion is leading to.”

“I want to ease the minds of the people of Palmerston North,” stated tho chairman. “Particularly do I want them to appreciate the fact that no member of this board would seek to victimise a member of the nursing staff. I held an inquiry and I simply got from the sisters their reasons for resigning. The medical superintendent was absent at the time. There was no third degree, and I think it will bo agreed that I was sympathetic to the sisters. They have given good service. I regret the whole thing and I hope there will b» no re-opening of tho matter.”

Public Inquiry Sought.

At this stage the chairman read a

letter from tlie Palmerston North branch of tko Labour party requesting that a public inquiry should be held. The writers considered that a gross injustice had been done and that an inquiry in camera was not in keeping with the principles of British justice. Mr. Horn blow suggested that if the board wished to reply to the letter it could supply the following information: (1) The board received six resignations and accepted them; (2) the sisters concerned did not ask the board to hold any inquiry on their behalf; (3) they all stated to him that they wished to leave the institution; (4) the board had no power to hold public inquiries nor had the Director-General of Health, (5) the power to hold public inquiries was vested in the Government to exercise by Koval Commission; (6) tho reference to'the lack of British justice was a grave reflection on tho board. “I don't know whether we should take any notice of the letter," added Mr. Hornblow.

Mr. Howell: "I will move that it be received.”

Mr. J. Boyce seconded the proposal, which was unanimously agreed to.

Position of the Matron. On the matter of the matron's health being raised,’ the chairman reported that he had authorised her going on leave because of her health. On the motion of Mr. Mansford, the board went into committee to deal further with the matter. On the board resuming a motion on the lines of tho following was confirmed: — That the matron be granted two months’ leave of absence on full pay and that her fitness be then ascertained to continue in the strenuous duties devolving upon the matron of the hospital. Sixty-seven Applications Received.

In regard to the appointment of sisters to fill the vacancies the following recommendations were put before the -board and adopted: That the senior night sister be put in charge of Wilson I. ward and a new night sister be appointed; that the junior night sister might well be- substituted by a staff nurse, the junior night sister being placed in charge of Boyal Alexandra ward; that Nurse Bose, who has been staff nurse in the operating theatre, be promoted to the position of sister in

charge of Prince of Wales ward. This, it was reported, left only four vacancies to be filled from the 67 applications for the position advertised. The applications had been carefully gone through by the- medical superintendent and the matron and in the iinal choice they had the assistance of Miss Lambie, of tho Health Department. Finally they had selected Sister Pamplin as night sister, Sister Wright to be in charge of Wilson 11. ward, Sister Murray to bo in charge of Princess Mary ward, and Sister Thomas to bo in charge of the children’s ward. On the motion of the chairman it was decided to write to each of the- retiring sisters a letter thanking the recipient for her services on behalf of the hospital. Mr. Hornblow paid tribute to what the sisters had done, some of them over a lengthy period, and mentioned particularly their work during the Napier earthquake.