HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22400, 22 April 1936, Page 16

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

AUCKLAND BOARD THE MEDICAL STAFF FUTURE BUILDING SCHEMES A recommendation of the Auckland Hospital staff executive committee that there was 110 need to further advertise for senior medical officers at present drew strong opposition from members of the board at its meeting yesterday, and discussion on the subject was, continued in committee. The staff executive committee expressed the opinion that the honorary and resident staffs were meeting the shortage, and were able to deal with it until a full resident staff was available. " I hacl hoped that they might make a representation in favour of having two more senior medical men," Dr. h. B. Gunson. " I am opposed to thirdyear residents. I do not think that that is the right solution, of our problem." " 1 am opposed to this report in every respect," said the chairman, Mr. W. Wallace.

Mrs. M. M. Dreaver referred to many complaints and inquiries they had had because they had not enough senior men. " In our own interests, and for their own protection," she said, " we must have senior men there. I feel we owe it to the public to do something about it."

At this stage the board went into committee.

Considerable discussion was later raised among members over a proposal that the board should Co-operate with the Wellington Hospital Board in bringing here a representative of an Australian firm of architects to advise on building programmes. Dr. J. P. Hastings and Mrs. Dreaver favoured getting the services of such an expert, but Mr. E. H. Potter thought the board's plans were not yet sufficiently advanced and proposed that the letter be merely received.

A motion by Dr. Hastings in favour of co-operating with the Wellington board was carried by eight votes to four.

In supporting his motion " that a fully-trained dietitian be appointed to the Auckland Infirmary," Dr. Hastings said a properly-trained dietitian would not only benefit the health of the patients, but would save her own salary by the elimination of waste. The motion was passed, and it was decided to advertise the position at £3OO a year. On the motion of Dr. Gunson it was decided to appoint an honorary surgeon and an honorary physician to the infirmary. The chairman said the time was coming when they would have stipendiary staffs in charge of these institutions. EXPANDING WORK YEAR'S FIGURES COMPARED. Comparative statistics of the working of the Auckland Hospital for the 12 months ended on March 31 were submitted to the Hospital Board yesterday. These showed that the number of patients treated had been 12,923, compared with 12,298 in the previous year. The average cost a patient had risen from £lO.l to £ll.l, and the payments made had increased by £19,440 from £123,822 to '£143,262. The factors responsible for the increased payments are stated to be the improved services in many edpartments, increased number of patients, the undertaking of maintenance work previously postponed, improved staff conditions and the upward trend in prices. • At the Auckland Infirmary the average number of patients- fell slightly from 437 to 432. The cost of outdoor relief rose from £48,018 to £sl-956, a figure that was £4956 above the estimate. Similarly sanatorium relief rose from £5416 to £8197, and medical relief from £2316 to £3247. The infirmary payments increased from £48,018 to £51,956.

The ordinary maintenance receipts exceeded the estimates by £10,688. This result reflected continued improvement in collection methods, and proved that a small extra expense for clerical staff produced considerably greater returns in receipts.