WELFARE OF THE PATIENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 10

WELFARE OF THE PATIENT

TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL ADMISSION OF PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 17. A scheme by which private medical practitioners may enter a hospital for the purpose of following the progress of their patients and obtaining information of educational value to themselves was adopted by the Auckland Hospital Board to-day on the motion of Dr Hastings. The motion was as follows:—“ That medical men sending patients into the Auckland Hospital be notified—(a) In the case of medical patients in what ward his patient is, and at what hour and on what day ho can meet the honorary in charge of the case; (b) in the case of surgical patients, at what hour and on what day the patient will be operated on. and, further, in which theatre the operation will be performed.” ■ ' Dr Hastings said the medical superintendent (Dr Craven) had adopted the good practice on a patient’s discharge of notifying the family doctor and giving particulars of the patient’s history in hospital and of the treatment applied. He would suggest, however, that the plan outlined in his motion would be an improvement. If general practitioners were allowed into the hospital to witness operations and confer with members of the honorary staff they would be greatly assisted in keeping themselves up to date and would be enabled to follow the progress of their patients.