THE HOSPITAL BOARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19265, 2 March 1926, Page 11

THE HOSPITAL BOARDS.

VALUE OF ASSOCIATION. TRIBUTE FROM THE MINISTER. SIR L. FERGUSON'S CRITICISM. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Monday. 1 1 was pleased," said the Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. to-dav, in commenting upon the Hospital Boards' Conference at Dunedin, "with the general tone and spirit of the conference, lhe members showed a strong desire to make themselves cognisant with the working of tho Hospitals Act as' between the various boards, large and small, which were there represented. I feel sure that the best of goodwill will obtain between the hospital boards, the association and myself. The association seems in every way to have justified its existence." The Minister added that he was sure tho organisation would be helpful not only to the department, but also to the country. A progressive people was never without problems to solve and good must result from such deliberations, and from the co-operation of the association and the department under his charge in working along lines for the improvement and building up of our hospital system, so as to make it more perfect and raise it to a standard equal to the best in the world. That was his ideal.

Farmezs and Gommonsense. Continuing, Mr. Young said he had made it clear to the members of hospital boards that in all matters of administration where he required professional or expert advice he would seek it. He would take the responsibility for his decisions and would endeavour at all times to come to such decisions in a spirit of fairness and common-sense. The hospitals were national institutions in every sense in that the Government, in association with the local bodies, provided the money for the purchase of land, the construction of buildings, equipment, etc., as well as the funds required for hospital service and administrative purposes, in addition to the revenues earned by the boards. The Minister said he was well pleased with trie address delivered to the conference by Dr. Malcolm T. MacEachern, the well-known American authority on hospital administration. Dr. MacEachern's advice was calculated to do much good and to prove helpful to the boards. His wide experience on the administrative side in the United States and in Canada enabled him to give much assistance in such matters.

Position Not Understood. In reply to a question as to the-re-marks of Sir Lindo Ferguson with respect to the appointment of medical officers, which seemed to create some feeling among members of the conference, the Minister said no doubt Sir Lindo Ferguson's criticism was well meant and his address contained some gocd points. He was sure, however, that Sir Lindo Ferguson did not fully understand the position, or he would not have been so rough members of hospital boards when he made the statement that ''there was no body on earth more incompetent to judge the attainments of a member ;of the medical profession than the laymen who constituted the hospital boards, and he would suggest that the. appointment of the medical staff of a hospital should be left in medical hands." This seemed to imply that the appointments of medical officers to hospital boards were made in a manner which suggested indifference to the essentials which should obtain in the selection of such important officers. If Sir Lindo acquainted himself with the Hospitals Act he would find that no appointment of a medical officer, including a member of the honorary medical staff, or of .a matron, manager, engineer or secretary of a board, shall be made until the Minister has been notified of the intention to make such appointments. The boards were required under the Act to forward to the. Minister a list- of applicants and it was the duty of the Minister to submit to the board for its guidance such reports and recommendations as he thought fit. It was the duty of the board in accordance with the statute to give due and fair consideration to such recommendations before making any appointment. Decisions " Most Admirable."

Mr. Young said he could give an assurance that almost without exception the appointments made by the boards during recent years had been most admirable, and no complaints had been made by the department with regard the appointment of medical officers. Needless to say, the decision of the Minister with respect to the professional qualifications of members of the staff would be in accordance with the advice furnished to him by his responsible advisers. Therefore, there was not the ground for fears, much less the charges which were levelled at the hospital boards.