A FUTURE POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 10

A FUTURE POLICY

REPORT BY SUPERINTENDENT

GENERAL SURVEY NEEDED

IDLE ISOLATION BLOCK

Reports forwarded to the Auckland Hospital Board by the medical superintendent, Dr. J. W. Craven, contain comment on the Finance Committee's economy recommendations which have yet to be considered by the board. Many of the points raised, he says, are intimately bound up with the future policy of the board. With regard to the suggestion that sisters and staff nurses might live away from the nurses' home, Dr. Craven said the lady superintendent agreed with him that such / a .course could easily be permitted providing an adequato lodging allowance was paid. However, adequate accommodation was available and a lodging allowance would bo greater than the cost of maintenance at the nurses' home. As to the limiting of the number of probationer nurses, it was difficult to give advice. If the policy of the board was definitely to make a permanent reduction in the number of beds, which meant closing a ward or wards, the matter would automatically adjust itself, as the nursing staff would be reduced accordingly. On the other hand, if only verandah beds were to be eliminated, no appreciable reduction could be made in the nursing staff.

If the board would adopt a definite policy with regard to the type of patient to be admitted, judged by income, some degree of finality would be reached. This did not apply to accidents, which would always be attended to at the hospital at any time. The time had arrived when a survey of tho whole situation would have tcf bo made, with special regard to the typo of patient to be admitted, the length of stay in hospital, tho unification of all services and the establishment of recovery homes.

Dr. Craven said he could not recommend the board to consider opening the isolation block for the housing of chronic cases, as further accommodation was vitally necessary at the Epsom Infirmary, either in the form of extra building or the alteration of wards. It was extremely dangerous to allow infectious cases to be nursed in medical and surgical wards, even in side rooms, and it was recommended that the block should be opened for this type of case before a disaster occurred as the result of infection contracted in the hospital. A " rotary" system of admission of patients and a "period" system of Admission of acute cases and emergencies were under consideration. These would necessitate a rearrangement of wards and beds and would bo the subject of a separate report. A further report on the use of the isolation block was made by Dr. Craven to the board yesterday. He said he was seriously considering the advisability of making us© of the remaining portion of the building in order to relieve some of the pressure on space in other parts of the hospital. It was important that this building should be put to the best posr sible use and not allowed to deteriorate through lying idle.