HOSPITAL HOUSE SURGEONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19563, 16 February 1927, Page 12

HOSPITAL HOUSE SURGEONS

I > QUESTION OF SALARIES. BOARD MEMBERS DIFFER.' [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES, Tuesday. There was a breezy interlude at a meeting of the Thames Hospital Board arising out of the appointment of a house sur- • geon. The matter was introduced by a letter from Dr. H. B. Lange, accepting an appointment as house surgeon. He was not prepared to stay any specified ' time. 5 Tho chairman, Mr. W. E. Hale, ex- ! plained that on learning that Dr. Lange l was not prepared to remain for the speci- , fied period of 12 months, he had, after ' consultation with the authorities, made ' another appointment without loss of time >, to the board. ! Mr. Danby drew attention to the gradually diminishing number of available house surgeons. " Personally, he had concluded that the only way to attract the right type of house surgeon was to make the salary more attractive, and this was a question the board -would have to face before long. The chairman intimated that it would be time enough to face the position when it arose. Mr. Lange, a member of the board, and father of Dr. Lange, in supporting Mr, i, Danby, declared that under present salary j rates "a house surgeon's job was of little value. The post should be made more " attractive. He would advocate a salary > of £250 per annum for the post. Mr. Hale: We could keep a house surgeon for two or three years at that figure. " Mr. Lange: Yon won't. > . Mr, Hale: Pardon me, I would. i Mr. Lange: You don't know anything • about ;it. i Mr. Danby instanced the position of . theatre sisters as a parallel case. The j \ board had advertised extensively for a \ theatre- sister at £llO per annum, . but , there had • beers only two applications. | Only last week he-had noted in the press j ' that theatre • sisters were ■ be!og ad vert ised for at a salary of £l5O per annum, ■ Later in the afternoon, when it was proposed that, the chairman and secretary ■ attend the annual conference of hospital boards 'at Christchorcb in March next, Mr. Lange moved as an amendment that the matter be deferred for 12 months. In his opinion representation at such a con-' ' fe.rence;was a waste-of money, Mr. Danby doubted if I per cent, of the ! remits adopted at the conference found their way on to the statutes of - the Dominion. The country hospitals -were considered very small fry at such conferences. Mr. Hale; All the more- reason why country hospital hoards should be repte--1 serated. The executive committee has in ' the past been monopolised by city hospital delegates. I intend to visit". th§ Hospital Hoards" Conference this year for the parpose of assisting in the election of conn try hospital representatives. to, the executive, Mr. Lange still thought it was a waste of money. He failed to find a seconder ' t0..-his amendment,, which" .lapsed,..and a • motion to -send the chairman and socre- ■ , tary to the conference was carried.