Control Of N.Z. Hospitals

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1949, Page 6

Control Of N.Z. Hospitals

AUCKLAND, Tue„ (P.A.).—Declaring that the present hospital administration system in New Zealand was outmoded, Mr Douglas Robb, a prominent Auckland surgeon, today outlined a plan for regionalising hospital control with centres in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Welington Christchurch and Dunedin. He was addressing a luncheon of the Auckland Creditmen’s Club. Each regional hospital board should be responsible and autonomous. There should be no need for the hospitals division of the Department of Health, but a national hospitals corporation could coordinate the work of the regions and negeotiate with the Government on finance. Mr Robb said hospital organisation had changed little since 1910, but the population had almost doubled. CHIEF FAULTS The chief faults in the present system were that hospital board districts were too small. They were composed almost entirely of laymen without executive and professional representation. There was a serious division of authority between local boards and the hospital division of the Health Department. Frustration and delay through having to submit much detail to Wellington had almost caused a breakdown in the system. He recommended dividing the Dominion into six . hospital regions of about 300,000 people each, leaving boards to organise complete hospital services, within their regions.