X-RAYS

Southland Times, Issue 19897, 16 June 1926, Page 6

X-RAYS

INCREASE IN CHARGES EFFORTS FOR UNIFORM SCALE COMPLAINTS IN AUCKLAND. (Special to the Times.) Auckland, June 15. Complaints have been made on several hands of the severity of the recent increase of charges for X-Rays at Auckland. Under the old regime the charges were from one to two guineas but the revised scale imposes rates of from two to six guineas. This is considered so stiff that several doctors, it is said, are refusing to send • their patients to the hospital for X-Rays excepting in cases of extreme urgency. It has been stated also that the number of patients applying for X-Rays at the hospital has been considerably reduced since the new scale came into operation and it is asked what benefit will the public reap from the fine equipment now installed in the X-Rays department and whether the new charges will place X-Rays out of reach of the very class the hospital is supposed to benefit and induce sensitive patients to patronise private practitioners who have X-Rays and who might well be supposed to be the only persons who will benefit by the change. When these complaints and questions were referred to Dr. Maguire, the medical superintendent of the hospital, he said that the new scale was fixed by a committee appointed by the Hospitals’ Association to go into the whole matter of charges. The Christchurch Hospital, for instance, charged higher rates than Auckland and it was desired to bring abopt a uniform scale. It had to be remembered, however, that these charges were fixed as the maximum and no one was asked to pay them who was unable to do so. Each was asked to pay only what he could afford and if he could afford nothing the service was free therefore the new charges did not place the X-Rays beyond the reach of the class the hospitals were supposed to benefit as had been suggested. Dr. Maguire added that there had been no falling off in the number of X-Ray examinations under the new scale and he stated that under the old scale the department did not pay its way.