HOSPITAL QUESTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12775, 27 January 1905, Page 6

HOSPITAL QUESTIONS.

; FEES ; FROM OUT-PATIENTS. ; A DECISION AT CHRISTCHURCH. [UY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CnntSTCHPRCir, Thursday, ' The Christchurch Hospital Board, at yesterday's meeting, took a leaf out of tho Auckland Board's book, by deciding to make a small charge for out-patients. A country member moved that all patients* except those in destitute circumstances should pay a fee of half-a-crown for each attendance, to include dressing or medicine, fees to be paid at the timo of attendance. Ho said tho out-patients averaged about 1000 a month, and the time of the staff must necessarily bo imposed on. If they devoted so much time to the i out-patients, the work inside <-the hospital must be neglected to a certain extent. A charge of Is was made for a bottle of medicine, but there were very many others who attended for dressing, etc., and they paid nothing. It was unfair to a large number of tho country ratepayers. A great many of the out-patients who were treated for nothing could, well afford to pay. It was unfair to the doctors in tho town, because a certain number of fees were taken from them and to friendly societies' members,, who in town and country subscribed for treatment in cases of sickness, and also had to pay rates in many cases towards the upkeep of the hospital. Then, too, the doctor of the Oharit.ablo Aid Hoard was paid . £200 a year for attendance on destitute persons, so it could not be said that no provision, was mado for that class. '. The Chairman said he did not agree with; the motion. Many people went to the, hospital for treatment who were not absolutely destitute, and yet were very poor, and unable to afford payment. At present they received £120 per annum from outpatients, and fin going into tho statistics he found that many of tho average number of 980 out-patients per month were expatients who had been inmates in the hospital, and after discharge called in to ascertain if they were progressing favourably. The hospital existed largely for the benefit of the poor, and he did not think tho Board should press heavily on the class of peoplo who could not afford to pay for a doctor. A very large number of the out-patient"' cases were trivial, and were treated in a very short time. They had had no difficulty in dealing with outpatients in the past, and inquiries were made in every instance as,to the financial position of the applicants. Another member thought 2s 6d was too much, and moved that Is 6d be the fee. They wero catering too much for a certain class, and ho knew for a fact that peoplo went to tho hospital because it erst them nothing, and nob because they could not afford to pay tho fee. Tho amendment was accepted and carried.