ST HELENS HOSPITALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20075, 11 October 1920, Page 7

ST HELENS HOSPITALS.

t THE TRAINING FEE. fFnoit Ouh ConnESPOXDEKT.I WELLINGTON, October 9. The Minister of Health (Hon 0. J, Parr) was questioned in the House yesterday by Mr M’Comba on the subject of the fees paid by nurses who secure midwifery training; in the St Helens Hospitals. The Minister had previously staled that bo had given instruction's that the training fee charge bo abolished, but Mr M’Combs declared that they still bad to pay the fee, to provide their own uniform, and give their services free. Nurses on going to hospitals received a very small remuneration indeed. He would like the Minister to state that no further fees should bo paid and that the uniform would bo provided by the State; and that those who desired to receive midwifery training should be treated in a similar way to teachers who were being trained—namely, that they should bo paid during their period of training, Tho Hon 0. J. Parr replied that it was perfectly true that ho had stated that ho intended to instruct the Departmeut to forgo tho fee, hut ho had since found that an alteration in the' law would bp required to enable this to bo done. Under tho Midwives Act a fee had to be paid, and Parliament would first need to alter that Act in order to give effect to his opinion that the fee should bo abolished. Ho could tell the House that there Had been a meeting recently of matrons in chief of the four different St Helens Hospitals with regard to this matter. These ladies had had considerable experience in tho training of the nurses. They reported they thought there ought to bo some small deposit or foe paid as evidence of tho bona lidos of the entrant nurses. They had suggested that instead of the abolition of the fee altogether the charge should still be made, but with the express stipulation that at the end of the term of training the fee should he returned to tho nurse. He thought there was reason in tho views of these, ladies and ho was consulting now with tho Chief Health Officer with a view of seeing whether they might not arrange the matter in this way, without waiting for fresh legislation- Tho fee would*thcu be charged, but with tho distinct understanding that at tho end of the six months’ training it should he handed back to the nurse. As the questioner had raised the matter of uniform and remuneration of these trainees, he wished to point out that in no other country were the training fees so low as they were m New Zealand for the training of midwives. In Australia the trainmg fees were higher, and there was no suggestion of reducing them there. No pay was given anywhere, so far as he knew, to nurses while they were being trained. With regard to uniforms, the Department might certainly do something. '