HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16455, 6 June 1919, Page 6

HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

IMPORTANT REMITS. Delegates from the Taranaki, Hawera and Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards met in conference at Stratford on Wednesday. The New Plymouth Board was represented by Messrs. M. Eraser (chairman), J. Young, J. Andrews, S. Campbell, C. Andrews, G. Young and G. Capper; Messrs. G. V. Taylor (chairman), F. Gillanders and A.' L. Campbell represented Hawera; Messrs. C. D. Sole (acting-chairman), C. R. Finnerty and R. H. Cameron wore delegates from the Stratford Board. The secretaries to the three boards, Messrs. E. Holden (New Plymouth), C, M. Haggett jfTawera) and 'J'. H. Penn (Stratford) were also in attendance. ■

Mr. Sole was appointed chairman. He said the meeting was the outcome of a circular letter from the Taranaki Board with a- view to having a discussion on questions affecting the working of the various institutions. HANGIATEA HOME. The first remit dealt with the question of accommodation at the Rangiatea Horae, New Plymouth, Mr. Frhfcei' said a difficult question had come before the New Plymouth Board in regard to the accommodation for old people. It appeared from the records that some time during 1908 it was agreed that the Old People’s Home should receive inmates from the Stratford and Hawera Hospital districts on specified terms. There had been no difficulty about the latter, but during the last year all available space had been filled; this was not only the case, but they also had to put some of the men in the. women’s department. There were nine persons from the Hawera district and four from Stratford in the home. The New Plymouth Board heard some time ago that the Hawera Board was moving towards having a new hospital erected, and it occurred to them that Hawera might be inclined to turn their old hospital into a, home. If this was done—and the New Plymouth Board were not trying to dictate that it should be —the New Plymouth Home would bo relieved of the Hawera quota of the inmates. They had thought that as a number of the men coming to the Homo in previous years bad been old soldiers who had families, there would not bo so many inmates as the years passed, but the population was growing, and war conditions also added to the probable list of inmates.

Mr. Taylor said the Hawera Board had not had much difficulty with tho Taranaki Board in reference to the Home, and it was only recently that they were unable to obtain accommodation there for two old people. Regarding Mr. Fraser’s suggestion that the Hawera. Hospital be turned into an Old People’s Home, tho speaker thought it would bo five or six years before that could be done, even if it was decided upon, which had not been done. Ho would have liked to have seen some suggestions put forward by the New Plymouth Board in the direction of extending tho present home. Hawera had been very well catered for in the past by tho New Plymouth Home. Mr. Gillanders said tliey had been well accommodated by Now Plymouth. It would be some years before the new Hawera hospital was erected and on that account it might bo necessary for the boards to make some temporary provision to accommodate old people. Air. Tayler said that when the old; people from the Hawera district could 1 not be admitted to the New Plymouth Home owing to there being no room, application was made to the Wanganui authorities, but the same conditions applied there also. Mr. Fraser said, regarding the suggestion t'o make additions, that the building was not worth it in his opinion. The architect for the Hawera Board and members had also agreed that the board would not bo justified in making extensions to the premises. Ho again expressed tho hope that, tho Hawera Board would apply for a loan, for building a hew hospital. Air. Tayler said this would be done in tho future, no doubt, but was not contemplated at .present. Air. J. Andrews supported his chairman, Mr. Fraser. He said the accommodation was taxed, and they could not be expected to exclude people from their district so as to admit .possible inmates from the other districts. The present building would answer the requirements of the New Plymouth district for a few years yet, but to enable them to take inmates from Stratford and Hawera would necessitate a groat outlay in making additions to the building. It would be for the two southern boards to make arrangements of their own. Air. Campbell suggested that the Taranaki Boards join together to put up a temporary building to tide over the trouble for a while.

Mr. Solo said there were people in the Home whose relatives were quite able to pay. It had come tinder the notice of the Stratford Board that in some cases the relatives had even appeared anxious to get the old people off their hands, whereas they should have been well able and prepared to take them into their homes. ~ He did not think the Hawera Board would have much difficulty in getting money to erect a new hospital, which could be ready within about a year, and perhaps at not so great a cost as was anticipated. The present hospital would accommodate old people, and an Old People’s Home for South Taranaki would relieve the present crowding at New Plymouth. Mr, Cameron said the Stratford Boara had always worked amicably with the Taranaki Board, and he hoped this state would continue. He was of opinion that the Old People’s Homo should bo at New Plymouth, which was an ideal place both as regards climate and the present site. He hoped that they would bo able to como to an arrangement so that the old people from the Stratford district could still bo accommodated ’ at New Plymouth. Mr. Fraser said that in the cities the Homes were provided for by endowments, and there were some splendid institutions. In the three Hospital districts—Taranaki, Stratford and Hawera—there was a population of 65,000 to 67,000, and with the exception of the New Plymouth Board, as far as he cquld see, no one had comprehensively gone into the question of providing for the old people. He suggested that failing any other remedy the hoards should approach the Health Dpeartment, pointing wit the largo population in the province with practically no provision in the direction mentioned. It was up to Taranaki at the present time to represent their case to the Health Department, and bo guided by them as to some suitable plan to accommodate the old people. This idea, Mr. Fraser said, was his own, and he could not say whether or not it would have the sanction of his board. He had thought of it, however, as one of the means, the question having been before him as chairman acutely for some time. Mr. Tavlnr said the original Taranaki HuspiUj. aiil.'jcl eMcnueu

Patea, and included the present Harz era, district. This was the reason that the : Horn© was put at New Plymouth, and it was intended to serve the whole district. Personally, he did not think there was a place to equal New Plymouth as- a site for the Home, and ho' would be sorry to see any alteration. JJr. G. Young said he had visited the Old People’s Home the previous day, and he knew the position as to the over-orowding; something would have to be done. No move 'inmates could be taken from Stratford or Hawera. It would be bad administration to add to the present building. They could, petition the Government for assistance, and would have to make some, arrangements to cope with any inmates in the meantime. Mr. Campbell endorsed the opinions as to the suitability of New Plymouth as a site for the Horae. The chairman said the chairman and members of the New Plymouth Board had put the position very clearly, and he thought all understood matters thoroughly. They could arrive at no solution.' however, as members did not want to commit their respective boards. NURSES’ SALARIES. A remit from the Stratford Board suggesting consideration for a uniform scale of nurses’ salaries was discussed at length. Mr. Cameron said they considered that the nurses and matron were not sulficiently paid for the. services rendered. Ho understood the position had been fairly well discussed by the New Plymouth Board, although it had not " been discussed at Stratford. All of the boards should have' a uniform scale of payment. Under present conditions, be felt sure many of the best girls were being lost to the profession.

Tho chairman read a letter from Dr. Valintinc. issued in 1914, stating lie had not, found it practicable to lay down a uniform scale owing to the \arying conditions in hospitals in many ways. He also gave a table of salaries as drawn out by tho Department. The chairman said that tho trouble to a great extent had been the wages, and tho position had recently become more acute. Nurses were drawing 10s or 13s a day on active service. Up to 200 nurses had. been mobilised, and those used to the higher wages and dlffoi'vnt conditions in military hospitals would not be looking for staff mmses' tiositions in the smaller hospital*;, fttm, riie higher-paid positions in larger centres. It was not possible to make a uniform scale, hut the boards could recognise the work done. Mr. Finnci'ty said the nurses generally were underpaid, and often the accommodation provided for them was bad.

Air. Fraser said the question was a burning one. especially throughout the smaller hospitals. Notwithstanding that in the New Plymuoth Hospital there was paid a higher scale than that of any other hospitals of the same size, "It was continually stilted that the nurses were under paid. Their the probationers had qualified and were in the first year, and an addition received a certain amount of clothing and shoes. Large sums of money were paid for lectures to the probationers, and other training was given during the three years’ probationership. When hte probationers tad qualified and were really useful, they moved somewhere else. No man had more sympathy for the nurses than he. HeWw.s m favour of a superannuation scheme. The nurses would then —on becoming too old for the service—receive an allowance. It was a question every Hospital Board should take into consideration, and with this in view, boards had been circularised with a view to bringing pressure to boar on the Department for a superannuation scheme. _ He thought they should have a uniform system of salaries according to the number of beds.

Air. Taylor inquired why Air. Fraser did not include the whole of the board’s staffs in the superannuation scheme. He mentioned that often the secretaries put in a good period of service with one board. Air. Fraser said his sympathies were with the secretaries. The system of book-keeping adopted by the. Department was too marvellous for the ordinary man to comprehend. It was heavier work than the secretaryship of a business place doing £500,000. A motion was carried recommending to the various hoards to adopt the New Plymouth Board’s request that the Government call a conference of boards throughout the Dominion to discuss uniform salaries and superannuation for nurses and other business. DEPENDENTS OF CEIAIINALS. Another remit from Stratford recommended that stops be taken to obtain legislation relieving hospital boards of the responsibility of maintaining tho widows and children of criminals whoso lives have been taken by the State. The chairman mentioned that a murder case occurred some time ago, the murderer being subsequently banged. Because the man happened to have resided in the Stratford district within the two years preceding the occurrence, tlie whole of tho responsibility of keeping his children (aged from six months upwards) till tho youngest child was 16, was placed on the Stratford Board, It was a'big liability on the local ratepayer's, and the board maintained that in cases where the State practically removed the bread-winner of the family, the charge for their upkeep should be on the Consolidated Revenue. Cases aiso occurred where children were neglected and were committed: to a receiving home. The'raan often'shirked his responsibilities and tho board had to pay for their maintenance. Air! Fraser said that every board met with similar cases. On his suggestion, it was decided to include in the motion alj cases in which the breadwinner is imprisoned* by the State. On the motion of Alessrs. Taylor and Sole a vote of thanks was accorded the chairman and members qf the New Plymouth Hospital Board for promoting the conference. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the conference.