HOSPITAL FINANCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21399, 25 January 1933, Page 11

HOSPITAL FINANCES

STATE SUBSIDY REFUND RESULTING DEFICIENCY SPENDING BEYOND ESTIMATES "It is a scandal that tho board should be imposed on to refund what the Government expects the board to collect from its ratepayers," stated Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting yesterday, referring to the effect on accounts caused by refunding £24,000 of the Government's subsidy to meet outdoor relief. The chairman said that, for the nine months ended December 31, the net deficiency was £23,367. "At present we are overdrawn by this amount of £23,367, but, had it not been for the burden imposed by the Government in the way of the refund, we would have been practically within our estimates," continued the chairman. "The Government stopped this portion of the subsidy and it should be pointed out th it the estimates could have been adhered to had it not been for this unfair action. The subsidy was the one for relief, now financed by the Unemployment Board." Careful Handling Mr. Wallace said that the accounts spoke volumes for the careful handling of tho board's finances and the results of economy. Compared with the position in 1930, there had, for instance, been a saving of £20,597 in hospital costs. The Finance and Purchasing Committee reported, in a comparison between the estimated and the actual receipts and payments for the nine months, that payments had exceeded the estimates by £25,100 and ordinary receipts the estimates by £1733, the net deficiency being £23,367. A table of tho actual payments during the nine months ended December 31, during the past four years, was as follows: 1932 1931 1930 1929 Hospital . £81.178 £90.142 £101,775 £99,746 Infirmary . 23,558 23,850 26,020 25,152 Outdoor relief 46.970 62,315 42,345 36,459 Interest . 16,924 16,983 16,539 15,460 JMund Govt. subsidy 24,000 930 1,332 1,672 Other pny- | monts . 22,807 24,548 25,270 22,688 Totals . £215,437 £218,768 £2)3,281 £201,177 During the nine months, £24,000 of the Government's advance of £32,000 had been refunded. The money was used for excess unemployed relief requirements iji the previous year and if the return of the amount had not .been insisted upon, there would not have been a deficiency. More Patients Treated Although hospital payments exceeded the estimates by £13,115, they were £9OOO less than during the nine months in 1931, and 537 more patients had been treated. Tho same position was shown in regard to the infirmary, the average number of patients resident daily increasing by 15, while the average cost fell from £59 in 1931 to £56. It was estimated that the total deficiency at March 31 would be about £35,258, consisting as follows: —Hospital, £17,615; infirmary, £3458; dental, £765; relief, £8969; miscellaneous, £4451. The sum would bo less receipts received in excess of the estimates. The report was adopted.