FREE HOSPITALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23097, 23 July 1938, Page 15

FREE HOSPITALS

PAYMENTS TO BOARDS SIX SHILLINGS A BED SAVING OF £400,000 [I)V TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday An aggregate annual saving of £200,000 to the contributory, local authorities of hospital boards and also of £200,000 to tlie Consolidated Fund will result from the Government's proposal to provide free hospital or sanatorium treatment to all, states the National Health and Superannuation Committee. A uniform rate of Gs a day for each occupied bed will be paid from the Social Security Fund, and in respect of treatment in public hospitals, hospital hoards will be required to accept this in full satisfaction of the cost of care given. This benefit, states the report, is intended to comprise full relief from personal liability for hospital care received in public hospitals and sanatoria and partial relief from personal liability for care received in private hospitals. "The estimated average amount of inpatient fees collected from individuals at the present time for an occupied bed in a public hospital or a sanatorium is £lB 2s annually, or 2s 8d a day," states the report. "The proposal of the Government will mean a payment of £lO9 10s annually. While it is appreciated that some hospitals have been more fortunate than others in the collection of fees and have succeeded, in some cases, in obtaining an amount almost as great as that offered by the Government, the vast majority of hospitals will receive a substantial benefit from this proposal. The boards will also receive about £IO,OOO additional in respect of maternity services." It had been suggested, the report states, that the increased payments on occupied beds would be largely cancelled out through the need for an increased building programme, but due to hospital building coining almost to a standstill during the depression years, present evidence showed that this programme of building would have to be continued apart altogether from any health scheme of the Government.

OTHER SERVICES FREE MEDICINE ISSUE MATERNITY TREATMENT MENTAL HOSPITALS COST [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL RKI'ORTEIII "WELLINGTON. Friday In addition to its approval of the medical practitioner scheme, the National Health and Superannuation Committee has made certain recommendations oil a number of miscellaneous medical and hospital services. Complete approval of the outlines of the Government's scheme tor a national health service is again evident. The report deals with the following services:— 1. Free mental hospital care and treatment for the mentally afllicted. The committee recommends that in future no charge for the care and treatment ordinarily given in a public mental hospital be made against a patient's relatives or his estate. No direct evidence was offered to the committee on this matter, but it found from the last annual report of the Mental Hospitals Department that during the year the estates and relatives of inmates were called upon to pay £155,700. It is felt by the committee that the proposal to make this cost a charge on the whole community will meet with general approval. 2. Free medicine, the proposal being to provide free medicines on the prescription of a doctor and such other appliances or materials as may be defined by regulation. The committee states its opinion that there will be no great difficulty in inaugurating such a proposal, and evidence was given that the Pharmaceutical Association would co-operate with the Government along this line. Free maternity treatment, including the cost of maintenance in a maternity home. The committee states that this proposal had apparently met the desires of the majority of those interested. and the British Medical Association without finally committing itself, appeared to recognise that the proposals were reasonable and fair.

HEALTH PROMOTION EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS fJiv TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL HEPOIITEItI WELLINGTON. Friday A recommendation that a sum be set aside for education in the principles of health and healthy living is made by the National Health and Superannuation Committee in its report. Fvidence submitted to Ihe committee, states the report, indicated that there was an appalling ignorance on the part of many people concerning matters directly affecting their health and well-being. "We feel that a great deal of illness in the community can be prevented," the report states. "It is important, therefore, that the Government's efforts should not only be directed to the curing of disease, but also to the promotion of health."