THE NEW HOSPITAL.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13486, 4 June 1914, Page 4

THE NEW HOSPITAL.

DR. WASHBOUBN'S AND MR GRIFFIN'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

REPORTS TO THE BOARD

At the Nelson Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's meeting yesterday, Dr. Washbourn supplied the following report :—

"I have to report that as instructed by the _ board A visited the principal Australian hospitals in company with Mr Griffin. Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne were visited, and a number of the hospitals in' those cities were carefully examined in all departments. Ihe staffs of these institutions were most kind, and helpful, and the information gained cannot fail to be of great assistance in the work of designing the new hospital. No hospital yet built is perfect, and I hope that one result of our visit will be to enable us to avoid some of the mistakes others have made. The Roman Catholic institutions—Mater Misericordiae, Brisbane, St. Vincent's, and the Lewisham, Sydney, and others'in. Melbourne—are really excellent, and in some departments leave little room for improvement.

"As regards ground plan and general design not much help is to bo obtained from other institutions. The conditions governing it are dependent on local circumstances, such as site, aspect, climate, class of work, and so forth, and only local knowledge can supply these data.

"In the very important matter of the most suitable materials for interiors, floors, walls, and ceilings of wards, theatre, sanitary, and other annexes, an examination of other hospitals, new and old, should prove valuable, and this was regarded as one of the principal objects to be kept in , view. it will have to be carefully borne in mind that the best design and specifications are useless unless carried out by workmen skilled in the special work and materials used. Instances of good design marred by bad workmanship are not hard to find, especially in New Zealand.

"When tenders are being considered the question of the previous experience of the contractors in hospital construction, and the quality of the > <>rk they have done should be giv en careful attention. Even under the h. :;t conditions materials used for the v. jovo purposes are seldom perfect, a-.wl all we can do is to recommend th, r>» wlii'ja •seem best An illmt • ;tu<n < what is nif-an1" is afforded by the » w MclIrurne General Hosp'iru^, an i.istivution which is supposed to bt th-- last worU

■i ho^i-ital construction, aijd to embody the results of a tour of the world by the architect. In it a lar. ; ;o area of composition flooring has bee ; laid, and already it is wearing badly, and promises to be very unsatisfactory. "In regard to fittings, careful note was taken of anything ne\Vj and likely, to be of use.

"The question of the best method of heating will need consideration. In large hospitals steam for heating, cooking, sterilising., laundry, and many other purposes is essential, but as hospitals decrease in siae there comes a point at which it ceases to be economical. I understand that the Department pays a retaining fee to a. consulting engineer, who is a specialist in these installations, and it would be well to arrange" if possible forhim to come and confer with us on the subject.

"Electric light should certain!y be installed, and it is possible that if there is to be a steam boiler the current could be generated by steam more cheaply than by paraffin, or other motor. Here again it would be well to confer with the engineer.

"As to. the best course to pursue now in getting out plane for the new hospital, I can, if the board wish, prepare, as a basis for discussion, general instructions for the architect, and the board could meet and consider them. I think, however, that perhaps it might be simpler if the architect were asked to confer with me and prepare a preliminary sketch plan, and when this was completed the board held a special meeting to consider it.

. ."Tho matter of the size of the new hospital, is one in which apparently there ie likely to be some difference of opinion. To my mind, it is undesirable to build a hospital of more than, say, 50 per cent, above present maxi' mum requirements, Here a difficulty arises. If it is to be a two-storey building, then one wing with two wards, one over the other, is hardly big enough, while two wings, with, four wards, even if the wards are kept small, ■means a minimum of- 80 beds, without counting two other small wards of eight each (one for children), say, 96 in all. It must not be overlooked that everything has to be in proportion. If, as was at one time suggested, 120 or more beds were provided," there would need to b ( . quarters for at least two house suigeoiw resident in the building, besides extra porter, engineer, increased domestic staff, and quarters for at least forty-five nurses in the home. • It is very unlikely that the maximum requirements here for many years to come will exceed sixty or seventy, and it is much better to have a thoroughly well equipped and properly proportioned hospital of moderate size than a white\ elephant.

_ "I.would again urge the need of getting the Nurses' Home under way as soon as possible, since it is quite possible that the new hospital cannot be began until the Nurses' Homo is finished^ At best, it will greatly increase the difficulty of. administration during re-building If the central block is still occupied by nurses. I understand that; for some reason not apparent the £33,000 is ear-marked, ac it were, for the hospital, and that the special levy plus subsidy and the funds already in hand, totalling £4100, is for the. home, [f, as seems possible, the latter sum is insufficient to properly build an up-to-date- nurses' home of suitable size there should be ample surplus from the other funds to make up the required sum— it is a matter of £1000 or £1500 at most. The inconsistency of building a. hospital much in excess of requirements, with beds for, say, 100 patient*, half of which will not be required for years, and not adequately providing for nurses for half .that number, scarcely needs comment.

:ilf, however, tho board deckle to limit the sum spent on the homo as above, then I should .strongly urge that practically the who'l<> be spent «n tW building, and we will endeavour ,to rais-v money late;- to properly furrmJi it. Tho furnishing car. be clone at any tiin-:\ but not nmcli can be done to improve a poor building."

. Mr A. R. Griffin reported that ho visitor! twelve hospitals. He had been in touch with some of the leading hospital architects in Australia, and had .consulted with experts on hospital fittings, sanitary fittings, floor and wall materials, etc. He also visited tho Auckland and Hamilton hospitals. Mo received, considerable information from the superintendents thereof. He would bo pleased to give a lull report to tho board at any time. A* soon as instructions w-ere received regarding certain points he was prepared to commence the plans. Tho chairman said the board should hold a special meeting to discuss the reports. It had been said it would take six months to prepare complete plans, but he thought that was too long a time, and three months was sufficient. He considered Dr. Washboum deserved a vote of thanks for his report.

Mr Harrison said that Dr. Washbourn and Mr Griffin should confer together before the special meeting of the board, and>have a rough plan prepared. Dr. Washbotirn said the Government's engineer should be got over as soon as possible, as the consideration

of efficient lighting and heating weremoat important. , On the- motion of Mr JielJ, a vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Washbourn. On the motion of Mrs Foil, it was resolved to ask the Government to allow the engineer to come to" Nelson to consult with the doctor and the architect. H was resolved that the board hold! a -special meeting on Monday, Juno loth at 10 a.m., and that a rbueh. plan b e submitted, to tho board. TOE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. _ Dr. Valintino, on behalf of the Minister, wrote as follows: 'M beg to acknowledge your letter of the 12th. instant, addressed to the lion. Minister of Public Health, and in reply thereto have to express the Minister's regret that your board still presses for the ' whole amount of the subsidy on Mr 1 Cawthron's gift of £15,000 being paidA forthwith, and not in progress pay- ' ments, as has hitherto been the custom, despite any assurances which your board may have received to the contrary. The Minister directs me to [ again express his hope that your board will be content to receive " tho subsidy in progress payments, as is j mentioned in his previous letter." ! MATERNITY WARD. Dr. Valintino wrote inquiring if the , board proposed to make provision for a maternity ward in tho now hospital. He ' understood in conversation with members- of the board that this was being; c provided for.

Mrs Foil said Mr C:>.v\ iliron favoured the ide-a of a materniiv ward.

Mr Hewetson question*vl whether a maternity ward would not mean placing a big burden on the board.

It was resolved on the motion of Mr Bell, that it be a recommendation to the general hospital committee to include a maternity ward in the new hosptial.