CONTROL OF HOSPITALS

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1930, Page 9

CONTROL OF HOSPITALS

POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT NEED TO REDUCE NURSES’ HOURS. - t STUDENTS’ WORK AT ST. HELEN’S. By Telegraph.—Press Association. 1 Wellington, Last Night. When the House of Representatives resumed in Committee of Supply this afternoon the estimate of £20,245 for the Government accident insurance account was passed. Replyinn- to questions raised when the estimate of £240,000 for the Department of Health was under discussion, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy said it was not contemplated that' there would be any reductions in the staffs employed at the various hospitals, and certainly not any reductions in wages. The slight decreases shown in these votes were only the result of closer budgeting. Replying to a reference to differential treatment at the Hanmer Hospital, Mr. Stallworthy said there was no differentiation in medical or nursing attention. Some people were prepared to pay more for accommodation, aud as there was already an annual loss of £15,000 on this hospital he had not felt in view of the financial position that he would be justified in putting an end to the system. The only alternative would be to. raise the minimum fee, and this was not desirable. The question of hours worked by St. Helen’s nurses haa given him a great deal of concern. In the Wellington St. Helen’s there was now an eight-hour day with one day off each week, and ho hoped eventually to attain that objective throughout the Dominion. It was a fact that the average day throughout l the St. Helen’s hospitals for nurses was ten hours, and he recognised that that was unfair for any man or woman. Reorganisation on the lines of . an eighthour day involved heavy expenditure in the way of providing accommodation; for extra nurses, and it would take time to effect the change. With reference to the retirement of the Director-General of Health the Millister said that under ordinary circumstances that officer would not have been entitled to superannuation, but as he had given 24 years’ service as head of a great State department and 30 years’ service to the public it was felt that there was an obligation to make some provision for him. For that reason he would be given six months’ leave of absence on full pay and would then be appointed an advisory officei - at £5OO a year. It ( would be possible to call on his advice at any time.

Dealing with the admission of medical students to St. Helen’s hospitals the Minister said he was satisfied he wds doing the right thing. While the Act did not specify that medical students should be admitted it also did not specify th3t they should be prohibited from gaining experience. Mr. P. Fraser; It was never contemplated that they would be admitted. The Act should be amended before that is done. ,

' Continuing, the Minister said New Zealand was still training maternity nurses and midwives at a greater rate than their services could be utilised in the Dominion. Two hundred were being trained annually. He added that of the 2400 cases treated in St. Helen’s hospitals last year medical students had attended only '368. The majority had been attended by maternity nurses and midwives. There was no question of decline in efficiency. The discussion on the Department of Health estimate was unfinished when the House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. till 2.30 on Tuesday.