Napier Hospital Inquiry

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 149, 25 June 1937, Page 5

Napier Hospital Inquiry

Relations of Secretary And Superintendent “NO NOTICE WAS TAKEN OF ME” From Our Own Correspondent. NAPIER, Last Night. The final points of the order of reference of the Royal Commission investigating the affairs of the Napier Hospital are now being embarked upon. These refer firstly to the question of whether any action of any member of the staff (including the honorary medical staff) of the hospital or of any member of tho Hospital Board has been detrimental to the discipline or effective co-operation of the nursing staff and general organisation, control and supervision of the medical and nursing staff of the Hospital ia the carrying out of their duties, and, secondly, generally any matters related to the management and administration of the hospital. ‘‘Have you had the utmost co-opera-tion -from the managing-secretary? asked Mr. N. A. Foden, Crown solicitor, of Dr. J. J. Foley, medical superintendent. Witness: Yes. There has not been any active obstruction. Mr. Foden: Your hesitation suggests that you thought the answer out very carefully and you used the term “active obstruction.” Would you suggest he had not been as he should have been in some things from the medical side.—l think he put the screw in, rather. Your answer almost suggests a suspicion that the managing-secretary does not always consider the welfare of the patients in the carrying out of his duties. Witness: He is watching the finances. Witness said that he could not himself order any repairs to be carried out and once the board had approved his requisitions there was no delay and the secretary had not blocked him in any way. t Mr. Foden.- If the managing-secretary blocked you in any way, what would you do? Witness: I would see him and discuss it. Does the managing-secretary observe you as the head of the institution? Witness: He may regard it as two different institutions. When he knew the Commission was coining he might have thought that I was head. Witness said that he got full co-opera-tion from the honoraries and matron. Mr. M. R. Grant for the Hospital Board: We have heard a lot about the nurses working long hours. Do you think that that has been the cause of some of the deep-seated discontent among the staff? Witness: I think that the more sincere a nurse is the more ready she would be to put up with matters until they can be put right. Mr. Foden: And be breaking the law? Witness: Nursing is a vocation. It is not something commercial. The chairman: It is essential that a nurse should have time off for her health’s sake. If she does not take it, she should be made to take it. Mr. A, E. Lawry, representing some of the nursing staff: In all cases nurses have told us that the welfare of the patient comes first. Witness: They have been very loyal. The chairman: Yets, they have. “I can’t explain it, sir,” said witness in reply to Sir James Elliott, a member of the Commission, who asked that an explanation be given of the difference between the superintendent and the managing-secretary. Sir James: We have a house manager, a managing-secretary, a matron and a medical superintendent, all generals in thih army? Witness: Yes, that it so. The managing-secretary has to initial all the most trifling things before you can get them? Witness: Yes. v If you left the Hospital, do you think they could get a suitable man to take over your place with the conditions that are at present ruling? Witness: I don't think so. I think that it would be no easy job. I wish to make it clear that I have no axe to grind. A. C. B. Biggs, former medical superintendent of the Napier Hospital, said that up to the earthquake his lot was a happy one, but after that it was not. At first he was in complete charge. At that state witness regarded the secretary as being below him. The secretary was subsequently appointed man-aging-secretary. Unpleasantness arose on the board regarding the Hastings Hospital, which witness considered should bo used only for urgent cases, but which some members of the board thought should be a fully equipped hospital. He was alleged to have exceeded his duty in regard to certain phases in this matter, and as a result conditions wore imposed upon him which deprived him of any authority except to take responsibility for anything that went wrong. “Tilings gradually grew from bad to worse,” described witness as he related his endeavours to obtain proprietory medicine for a patient who was seriously ill. Witness put in a requisition but the request was refused by the secretary despite the fact that witness afterwards explained the specific reasons. Eventually witness secured the medicine himself, and he said, incidentally the patient made a good recovery. Mr. Foden: How did you feel about it? Witness; 1 felt it to be very humiliating. You concur with Dr. Foley that it would be hard to get another good man to act under the present circumstances? Witness: It certainly would; I think it would be impossible. If a man came he would not stay long. Can you explain the proportion of office staff to medical staff? Witness: There was no proportion at all. The office staff was far too large and we who were looking after the web