“SUPERSEDED.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 7

“SUPERSEDED.”

RADIOLOGIST PROTESTS. HICH-SALARIED POSITION DISCUSSED. There was a protest before tlie Hospital Board this morning. Dr William Bates wrote: — c< <c I write to protest against tho discourteous manner in which I have been treated with regard to the proposed appointment of a whole-time radiologist. It was left to the medium of the public Press to announce to me that I was about to be superseded. This was absolutely the first information I received. I was appointed after an advertisement in the public Press as honorary radiologist. This appointment, according to the Hospital Board’s regulations, is for a term of three years. When appointed to the position, I gave up other appointments so as to devote as much time as possible to tlie Hospital work.”

In a letter to the president of the British Medical Association, Dr Bates said :—“ Is it a proper thing for a medical man to allow his name to be put forward for a position which is not vacant to the superseding of another medical man? The question of personal skill does not enter into the matter in any way. It is common, ordinary, British fair play I ask for. I therefore look for the support of the association in this matter.” The Christchurch branch of the association supported Dr Bates’s protest. Replying to Dr Bates, the secretary of the board wrote: —“As no doubt you are aware through a newspaper report of the last meeting of the board, tho question of appointing a full-time radiologist to the Hospital has been under consideration, and an offer of the position was made to Dr Neil Guthrie, who has recently returned from Europe- He has now definitely accepted the position and I am instructed by the chairman to place the matter before you and ask you to kindly accept tlio termination of your position on tlie board’s staff. Had the board not determined to make this complete change in the method of dealing with the Department, the question of the termination of the appointment would not have been raised and probably nob even at the end of three years. There is nothing expressed in the by-laws about the period of the appointment of the radiologist nor was any term set forward in rny letter to you. The usual custom which has been accepted by members of tho staff is that appointments can be terminated by a notice of three months, and under tlie circumstances, the chairman desires me to ask you to accept such notice as from the time that Dr Guthrie is prepared to take up the duties of the position. I am sure that you wi 11^understand thai tlie action by the board should not he regarded as any reflection upon yourself $ it being the outcome of the staff recommendations with regard to special departments.” In a special report, the Hospital Committee stated:—“The committee i«grets that tho B.M.A. should nave thought it necessary to enter a protest, as the committee and the board had no intention whatever of creating a position likely to bring about any difference between the two bodies. The board’s efforts have always been in the direction of obtaining amicable relations with the medical profession, and the action with regard to Dr Bates was not by any means intended as a reflection upon him ; but it is not usual tor the committee to disclose its proposals to interested persons before they have been approved by tho board, and in this case the offer to Dr Guthrie was not finally accepted until a date some time following the board meet- \ The chairman reported that lie had signed the terms of Dr Guthrie’s appointment, which had the Government’s approval.

Rev J. K. Archer suggested that the board should go into committee to consider the matter.

Air S. Andrew: Why go into committee? This is a public matter. The chairman: It is for the board to decide.

The “Noes” had it and tlie meeting rema i nod open.

Mr Archer said the appointment was so important that it should have been carried out by a committee of the whole hoard, not bv a section. He would like to know (1) Whether Dr Guthrie had special qualifications ; (2) was the equipment they were going to have decidedly better than the present equipment; (3) had the board really enough work in the radiologist department for a. doctor to give his whole time to it? (4) Was the high salary justified? The Department’s earnings, he said, were between £SOO and £6OO a year and yet the doctor was to be guaranteed £1250 a year, an extraordinary salary, equal really to over £2OOO, because there would be no night calls and no office expenses. Mr Archer said that in big opinion Dr Bates had not been treated fairly. “ Whether a man in our employ is a doctor or a gardener, he should receive first communication from us as to termination of an appointment.” Mi- Andrew said that ho had not the slightest doubt that the appointment of Dr Guthrie would be a first-rate one for tho Hospital. The hoard to-day, however, was not concerned with that j aspect. It was a matter for regret j that Dr Bates had not been notified ! through the proper channels. Dr 1 emviek said that for the position j there was no better qualified man in j New Zealand than Dr Guthrie. “ This is a public body ” said Mr I>. M Rae. “All the positions we have vacant should he advertised. Why ‘ was Dr Bates not offered the position? j He was not treated fairly. The salary ! is too high. The radiologist is to get ! £1250, the assistant £450 and tho • sister £l5O. If anyone should get an j increase, it is the poor sister.” Air 11. J. Otley said he felt*quite sure that the appointment of Dr Guthrie had been made only after fullest consideration. “ We must give the people the best we can ’ said Mr (l. T. Smith. “ I support the action of tlie chairman in definitely fixing the appointment.” “Those are mv views” said Mrs Herbert. Iho chairman said that the board’s

nrsb uiny was to xno puoiic. Before making a new appointment, it had to see that someone was ready to take up the position. No discourtesy* to Dr Bates had been intended. appointment had been recorSmended by the Medical Superintendent and by the chairman of the honorary staff. The chairman’s action was endorsed. There was no dissent.