HOSPITAL FINANCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18545, 16 April 1930, Page 13

HOSPITAL FINANCE.

REVIEW BY TREASURER. DECREASE IN LEVY PROPOSED. When the estimates for the year were under consideration at the annual meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board at Waimate yesterday, the secretary-treasurer (Mr H. G. Naylor) submitted a resume of the financial year ended March 31, 1930, and a review of the estimates for the year ending March 31, 1931. Mr Naylor said that the financial year had ended with a surplus of £2260/5/7, this result being due chiefly to the comparatively large amount collected on account of patients’ fees. The net capital and maintenance requirements for 1930-31 were estimated at £39,059/19/4, against £40,219/7/6 for the previous year, this being a decrease of £1159/8/2. The amount to be levied on local contributing bodies this year was £20,592/6/1, compared with £21,110/2/3 levied the previous year—a decrease of £517/16/2. The apportionment of the levy was as follows:

The rate to be levied was Is 9.6 d per £IOO of rateable capital value, compared with the rate of Is 10.3 d levied last year—a decrease of .7d per £IOO r.c.v. It was interesting to notg that the average levy for the Dominion for 1928-29 (the latest available figures) was 2s 4.1 d per £IOO r.c.v., this being 6£d per £IOO r.c.v. more than the levy to be made on South Canterbury contributing bodies this year. The amount to be contributed by Government subsidy this year was £18,942/13/3, being £641/12/- less than last year. The rate of maintenance subsidy would be 17s 7.9 din the £1 this year against 17s lOd last year. The estimated gross maintenance expenditure for 1930-31 was £47,774, and for 1929-30 it was £46,912, an increase of £862. The principal increases were:—Timaru Hospital wages (£842), Temuka Maternity Hospital (£500). The principal decrease was:—Waipiata Sanatorium maintenance of patients (£1000). The increase in the Timaru Hospital wp/ os was due to replacing junior with sen.cr nurses, and the appointment of Home Sister and of additional porters, and salary increases. The decrease in Waipiata maintenance costs was due to the charge per patient being reduced to 7/- per diem and to a less number of beds being allotted than was anticipated.

The actual gross maintenance payments for 1929-30 amounted to £47.132, being £220 in excess of the estimate. The actual revenue receipts (excluding subsidies and levies), amounted to £12,821, being £lß4l more than the estimate. The nett actual maintenance expenditure for 1929-30 amounted to £33,296, being £1646 less than the nett estimated expenditure of £34,942. The nett cost of running the institutions under the Board's control for ihe year ended March 31st, was as follows:

Mr G. Dash, chairman of the [ Finance Committee, in moving the adoption of the estimates, said that j a great deal of time had been spent | in preparing the estimates, and the I office staff were to be complimented on j their work. It would be noticed that | there was a slight reduction in the ! amount to be contributed by local bodies, and the Board had been very fortunate in having collected a record | amount in fees and dues. Expenditure i on maintenance was increasing, but this could be understood when one considered the wide field in which hospital services operated. The fact that this year, despite increased services, the Board were able to lower the levies, reflected credit on members of the Board. In seconding the adoption, Mr R. S. Griffiths said that the year had been a most successful one. Great credit was due to Mr Naylor and his staff for the manner in which the financial budget had been prepared. The chairman said that despite the fact that Temuka would have a maternity hospital operating for nine months of the present financial year, the Board did not consider is necessary to increase the levies. Mr Dash said the Board were very fortunate in having an officer of the capabilities of Mr Naylor. His association with the Finance Committee had been made very easy since Mr Naylor had been secretary-treasurer to the Board. The estimates were adopted without discussion.

Local Authority Levy 1929-30 1930-31 £ £ s. d. Timaru Borough Council . . . 4.494 4.481 9 7 Temuka 351 341 0 9 Waimate 437 430 9 4 Geraldine .... 171 166 12 8 Pleasant Pt. Town Board .... 92 91 17 ? Geraldine County Council .... 3.278 3.173 3 5 Levels County Council .... 3.398 3,295 11 10 Mackenzie County Council .... 2.718 2.637 8 9 Waimate County C " v ■ n ii . . . . 6,171 5.974 1 ' 7 £21.110 £20,oa2

Timaru Hospital . 14,763 Waimate Hospital 5,653 Pairlie Hospital 3S8 Geraldine Maternity Hospital 357 Talbot Fever Hospital 6Z1 Old People's Home .. 756 Waipiata Sanatorium 4,104 The following table showed the average number of daily occupied beds for 1929-30, compared with the previous year:— 23-23 29-30 Timaru Hospital .. 98.4 87.0 Waimate Hospital 46.3 45.3 Fairlie Hospital 2.0 1.9 Geraldine Mat. Hospital 1.9 2.2 Talbot Fever Hospital 17.5 13.3 Old People's Home .. 53.3 50.6 219.4 200.3