PRIVATE PAYING WARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18929, 29 January 1925, Page 11

PRIVATE PAYING WARDS.

DEMAND OF THE PEOPLE. RIGHT TO 'BEST TREATMENT. CANTERBURY BOARD MOVES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. WednesdayThe provision of private paying wards at tho Christchurch Hospital was discussed by the North Canterbury Hospital Board to-day, and the Finance Committee was recommended to make early provision for such wards. Mr. S. Andrew moved: "That it be a recommendation to tho Finance Committee to make early provision for the establishment of private paying wards, to meet the 10 urgent need of a large section of ratepayers who arc at present excluded from receiving the benefit of the up-to-date facilities provided at the Christchurch Hospital." Mr. Andrew said that, tho hospitals were costing a largo amount of money, and public opinion and necessity demanded tliat a very high standard of treatment should be kept up. It was found that those who paid ttie largest amount of rates for tbese sptjoial facilities were not able to have the advantage of them, and in many cases they had to undergo second-class treatment. In the country everyone could go into tho public hospitals. Tho opinion of the large majority of ratepayers was in favour of the suggestion, and the number of private beds provided in Christchurch was quite inadequate. It would be necessary to fix a fee. for paying patients. The present f?e was about 9s a day. It might bo that the fees would have io be increased, and then remitted for those who could not pay. Taking the Dominion as a whole about £200,000 was collected in hospital fees, and over £I,OOO,CKX) was collected in hospital rates. The chairman, Mr. H. J. Ostler, said he had been in favour of private wards for the hospital for many years. The people who found tho money for the hospital were unable to use tho institution except in special departments. Tho cottage hospitals were open to everyone, and he would like to emphasise that because they had not, been used so much as had been expected, there was not going to be enough private accommodation for patients in the district, and tho board should provide accommodation. The new private wards should be a paying proposition, because nobody would go into them unless they could pay. The first thing to he done, however, was to find accommodation for the nurses. It was no use. thinking of setting up another ward until provision was made to keep more nurses. That was the key of the position. The matter of finance would also have to be considered, but there was no doubt that the time had arrived when the hospital would have to provide for all ir. the district. . "V ■ Tlie motion was carried without dissent.

In the course of an address to thifi board later in the meeting, Dr. G. J. Blackmore stated that private paying wards were attached to all public hospitals in Canada. Nobody in Canada would ever think of reverting to the old method of being treated outside the public hospitals, in which very fine arrangements were made for the treatment of patients in private wards.