HOSPITAL BOARD'S FEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20262, 23 May 1929, Page 12

HOSPITAL BOARD'S FEES.

LIABILITY FOR PAYMENT. MEMBERS DISCUSS POSITION. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. The question of the charges made for pathological work' by the Christchurch Hospital was considered at to-day's meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The Finance Committee is to report on the question to a further meeting of the board. Tiie chairman, Mr. H. J. Otley, said that since the last meeting of the board it had been found necessary to take action against a medical practitioner in Lyttelton to recover an account owing to the pathological department. Judgment had gone against the board, and the board had now to consider whether it would appeal against the judgment. When pathological cases were sent to I the hospital the board did not know who the people were, and it had been regarded as a matter for the doctor who sent the patient to collect the fees with his ordinary fees. Now a case had arisen in which an account, which had been owing for some time and on which a discount had been made, had not been paid. The question was an important one, which affected boards all over New Zealand. Mr. W. P. Spencer moved that the question be referred to the finance department. Mrs. Elizabeth McCombs opposed the motion. The position was that a doctor was required when sending a case to the department to state whether or not ho thought that the patient could pay for the work done. Mr. W. J. Walter expressed pleasure that judgment had gone against the hoard. It was for the board to collect the fees, if any were duo, not for the doctor. The chairman said the case under review had heon unsettled for many years, and finally the board had to take action to find out what was its position. Dr. IT. T. D. Acland thought it would be helpful if the Finance Committee were to consider the whole question. At present there was a dual system of collection, and some uncertainty in the minds of medical men as to how the system could be worked. It was found that the time in which an appeal might bo lodged had elapsed, and the question was referred to tho Finance Committee for its consideration of tho matter generally.