NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13634, 13 April 1908, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

SOME LITTLE COMPLAINTS. NO DINING ROOM~FOR FEMALE PATIENTS. ALLEGED INATTENTION OF NURSES. BREAD 'AND BUTTER EVERY NIGHT.

At the mooting of the Hospital Board to-day Mr J. Brown said complaints had been made to him on several occasions that the female patients had to have their meals in the ward. He thought the complaints were justified * and the matter should be looked into. If there was not already -proper room one should be provided. The male patients had a, dining room, and why should not the female patients be 1 treated in the same way ? Personally he saw tio objection to the males and females dining together. Another question ho would KkQ. to bring forward was in regard to the, nursing staff. Wast^itir; any provision in -the regulations to iJfef, vent the matrdri' and head nurse -befog absent from the Hospital at the same time? » The Chairman: I think not, so. long a& a capable nurse is leftin;dharge/ Mr Brown said that his opinion was there should always be one or the other there. There had been, a considerable amount of talk outside about this sort of thing. On the particular occasion he referred to he saw the matron aiid head nurse away from the hospital himself, seeking their own pleasure. He wished it to be clearly understood, however, that he did not object to the nurses haying a certain amount of liberty or enjoying a certain amount "of pleasure, but he did object to this when the Board were told that their nurses were being overworked. He did not Bee how this could be true, especially in view of certain other information that had been conveyed to him that six nurses could get awl*y from the hospital at one time. He did not liket t"Ms #rt of thing and the public did not like it, and were .afraid itf would lead to trouble as at rAqskland -and ..others p|aces. I ' He desired to make it plain that as long as he was on the Board he was not "going w be run by the doctors, matron, or nursing staff. v / ( Mr 'Lepper said the nurses worked eight hours and in their off time could do just as they thought fit, and if they, felt they would like to po out then ly all means let them. As loft^ as ho had €1 to spare and could afford them aslittle pleasure he would do so. If any-^ one was to blame he supposed he was, seeing that he todk them for a drive; They were off duty on this afternoon and ,were his guests. He thought itf was about time pjjople learned to roind^ theirVwn business. • „ ; ,'Mr McDonald said. he always made, it a rule when anyone complained to' him to have it in black and" white before bringiiig it "to the, Board, because; when they were brought there it was' often found there was nothing in the^ charge?. - ,' Mr/ Brown: This talk is going on* outside, and it is our place to take? notice of these things. He added that£ if complaints of a serious nature werel made to him he would always insist on having them in writing, but these| were not serious, and he had onls brought them up because they mightf lead to something else. He 'not 'saying there was anything wrong,, bu was merely asking whether six or sevei nurses could get away from the hospi tal at one time. ' } Mr Andrews said he had heard a lot of complaints about the nurses, especi-' ally at night. He had/ he ;said,;*been informed of nurses, being, asleep, ft* two and three hours together when they were required 'by patients. '; The Chairman: That'jShouid not be\ Mr Brown said if; the nurse* who hid to so on night duty were running about the street all day instead of being asleep they could not possibly attend to their duties as they should do. Mr Andrews, said he had been informed of another patient who was in a very bad state of health and could not eat 'anything. This woman asked for some fowl broth, which was promised by the matron, but the woman had to wait for three days before she got it. The chairman said the medical staff was responsible for the dieting of patients. Mr Andrews said this had been ordered by one of the doctors from what he could learn. The Chairman: "That is a different thing altogether. If a doctor orders anything, then it should certainly be provided by the nursing, staff without unnecessary delay. ' Mr Andrews said another complaint frequently made to him was that patients always had bread and butter for tea. He thought they should occasionally at and rate get something different. Mr Lepper said this was customary at all hospitals in New Zealand. The Chairman : We have nothing at all to do with the diet. That is a question for the doctors. He had frequently enquired of. patients when he had visited the hospital how they were being treated and had never heard a single complaint. , Mr McDonald said it was not a question for the Board to. say what a patient should get to eat. Mr Andrews: I think there should be a little 1 variation at any rate. I would not like bread and butter night after night, anjd these people get something different when they are in their own homes. { The Chairman: I have every confidence in the medical and nursing staff. Mr Browne -said the questions that had been raised were important and should be looked into by the Chairman, and a report submitted to the next meeting of the Board. He agreed that it was wrong for patients to have to take their meals in the wards and thought it would be possible to make other arrangements so that the females could dine at one end of the dining room and the males the other, or at half-hour intervals. Neither did he consider that it was in the best inter* ests of the Hospital for the matron and head nurse to be away from tho institution at one time. • Mr Lepper said Miss Brown neveij left the institution without a capable nurse being in charge during her ab* sence. J Mr Browne said that if anything serious happened whilst the matron and head nurse were away from thA Hospital he supposed the Board would! be blamed for it, even if there were half a dozen charge nurses there. The Chairman promised to *go into' the matter and report at next meeting. "Tho Kagfy" is now making their Pre3twell Clotning, and have now in> stock all sizes in their Prestwell Overcoats. These are very stylish garments, and they have them in a variety of iitttfarn* and shapes. The prices of tho Prestwell Overcoat range from 30/6 to 59/6, and wo advise you to give them a call. — Advt.

sence.