HOSPITAL CONTROL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9871, 17 January 1918, Page 5

HOSPITAL CONTROL

ROYAL COMMISSION GETS TO " WORK. .Press Association. ' GISBORNE, 'January 16. The Royal- Commission of inquiry Into affairs at Cook Hospital has concluded preliminaries, and commenced taking evidence to-day. Mr H. W. Bishop is Commissioner, and tr are seven solicitors engaged ou benaif of - the-various parties,, including JMy M.:, ~; Myers, of Wellington, who appears on behalf of the petitioners for the Inquiry. Dr Scott, a local practitioner, is watching proceedings on his own behalf and .on behalf of Nurse Higgins. la the course of evidence, Mr J. C. Field, chairman-of—petitioners!—com-mittee, submitted a recommendation tnat the Government should pass legislation prohibiting medical men in practice holding scats on the hospital board, petitioners stating that their experience was, that such conditions led to unrest.,,,

The Commissioner said, if circumstances warranted it, he would make such,, a. recommendation "to the Governor. • ... „ " , „

Howard Kcnway, cx-chairmarq of Che Hospital , Board, gave evidence covering affairs at the hospital during the last. ten years. I

.Ur Wilson, in the course of evidence, expressed the opinion that it was not in the best interests of the hospital that medical . men. interested In private hospitals should be members of the Hospital Board. Witness also made an allegation respecting the treatment of a couple of cases which he had sent to the hospital. The inquiry was adjourned til] tomorrow. The proceedings promise to be lengthy and tedious, and, so far, no specific charges have been made, the evidence being mainly a lengthy history of hospital affairs.