HIGHER FEES OPPOSED.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1925, Page 8

HIGHER FEES OPPOSED.

TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL, PROPOSAL TO CHARGE 15,, VIEWS OF TARANAKI BOARD. “After many years of collecting fees, thia board has come to the conclusion that if the fees are raised above a certain level the board will lose thereby,” said Mr. M. Fraser (chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board) yesterday. These remarks were made by Mr. Fraser in defining the board’s policy on the question of raising the fees at all hospitals to 15s a day. The subject arose out of a question to be discussed at the first meeting of the newly formed Hospital Boards’ Association at Auckland on May 27. On the agenda for that conference is the following proposals “That hospital boards are recommended to raise their fees to 15s per diem, such fee to be reduced to those unable to pay the full fee; that the patient on entering the hospital should fill in an admission form embodying such scale, end will be told that any reduction in the fee of 15s will depend upon the verification of particulars given by him.” WOULD LOSE MONEY. The fee at the New Plymouth Hospital was Os (Id a day, continued Mr. Fraser, and people, even those in poor circumstances, made efforts to pay. The New Plymouth Hospital collected a greater percentage of fees than any other hospital in the province, but were the fees raised people would be disheartened and would not make the same efforts to pay. Another aspect of the question was touched upon by Mr. Fraser. Friendly Societies’ patients, whose fees formed a considerable portion of the total, paid 6s 6d a day, and if the full scale were raised, that for Friendly Societies’ patients would have to be increased also. If this were done, he felt sure that the board would lose considerable revenue. In reply to a question, it was stated that the fee of 0s 6d at the New Plymouth Hospital had been unaltered for several jears. The three new members of the board (Mr. J. S. S. Medley, Mr. D. G. Morgan and the Rev. R. B. Gosnell) expressed their strong disapproval of the proposed increase. Mr. Gosnell suggested that a small committee, however, should be appointed to investigate the position in order that the board’s delegates to the conference should be fully seised with the position. Other members of the board also expressed a preference for the present fee being retained instead of actual cost being charged. It was stated that the proposed fee of 15s was in excess of the actual cost. DEFINITE SCALE OPPOSED. The chairman thought that no hard-and-fast rule, such as was suggested in the proposal, should be made for the domestic management of hospitals. Each hospital board should manage its own affairs. Acting on Mr. Gosnell’s suggestion, a committee, comprising Messrs. Fraser, Haleomb.e, Gilmour, dlfedley, Morgan and Vickers, was set up to make enquiries into the position. Some doubt was expressed as to the representation allowed the board at the conference, it being thought, however, that only one vote would be allowed New Plymouth. The chairman, Mr. Vickers, and the general manager (Mr. E. Holden) were appointed the board’s delegates. The chairman added that the two main matters for discussion at the conference, so far as the Taranaki Board was concerned, were the fees to be charged and the medical stalling of hospitals question.