CONTROL SHOULD BE IN HANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18290, 19 October 1927, Page 7

CONTROL SHOULD BE IN HANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT

PLEA IS MADE FOR MIDWIVES’ SCHOOL (Special to the “ Star.’*) BLENHEIM, October 18 Dozens of letters to and from he pital boards and other authorities, rea at the meeting: of the Wairau Hospib Board, indicate that the boarc will have very wide suppo. in its campaign to secure the restor; tion of the Holmdale Maternity Ho pital’s status, as a training school fc midwives, as well as maternity nurse. The correspondence revealed that tl. Nurses and Midwives Registratio Board, in which authority’s hand lies the sole decision as to which ho. pitals shall be registered as trainin schools and which shall not, has no only flatly declined to reverse its prc. vious decision to reduce the Holmdal Hospital's status to a training schoc for maternity nurses -only, but, tint, bluntly threatened by the Minister hiir self, resolutely refused even to sta its reasons, and further, declined t hear a deputation from the Wairai Board on the subject. The matter has grown beyond loca. significance. The Wairau Board may now be regarded as fighting the issut on behalf of all other hospital board, similarly affected. In a letter, for in stance, the Auckland Board stated that the Wairau Board was far fror. being alone in its expressions of di satisfaction with the working of thi Nurses’ and Midwives’ Registratio Act, as was proved by the fact that i was seriously suggested at the lasi conference held in Christchurch, tha the Registration Board should bt done away with altogether. The Auck land letter concluded: “We are hopin yet to regain our former status, becaus it is generally held that the presen ridiculous position cannot last.” Othe boards wrote in similar strain. The Minister of Health, the Hoi J. A. Young, in a reply to the board pleaded helplessness, stating that th. decision in the matter is one coming entirely under the jurisdiction of th Nurses and Mid wives Registratic Board which, by the Nurses and Mid wives Registration Act, of 1925, an the regulations thereunder, is given th power to say which institutions shoul* be training schools for nurses, mid wives or maternity nurses. MINISTER APPROACHED. The attitude of the Hospital Boards Association as conveyed in a letter i that any hospital desirous of under taking the training of midwives shoul be permitted to do so, upon complying with the reasonable reqiiirements o’ the Registration Board, and that tha board should state, its requirement specifically for that purpose. In the course of a further letter the Hospital Boards* Association ported that it president (Mr Wallace) and others, hac' waited on the Minister when Mr W'a lace stressed the point that the Regi? tration Board had not only refuse recognition, but had declined to assig specific reasons for its refusal. H pointed out that the only redrer against this attitude was to reques the intervention of the Governmen which was responsible for the creatio of the Registration Board, and th powers given to it. Mr Young, in replying, stating tha he could see no reason why the Regi: tration Board should decline to-mee representatives of the Wairau Board or of the association in connection wit! this matter, and if it refused to do sc he would seriouily have to consider other measures. GOVERNMENT LOST CONTROL Discussing the correspondence, V C. Weaver suggested sending a deput tion to the Minister, demanding tha the board which the Government ba< set up, and which it had lost contrc of, should be dissolved, and a board set up in its place under the control of the Health Department. “It is,” observed Mr Weaver, "nr instance of such a bureaucracy which was seldom seen even in the days of old Russia. We should insist on this board being brought under the control of the Minister. For, apparently, thei’ actions cannot be criticised, and wha' they say stands as immutable as the of the Medes and the Persians which altereth not.” The chairman (Mr C. Neos) said tha’ the Minister must have been a party to the formation of the Registratior Board, and it was quite apparent tha the Government had given birth to ? child which had got speedily out of hand, and w’hich must be checked. Mr Healy said that he agreed wit! Mr Weaver’s view of the case, but he thought the best plan would be to appoint a committee to frame a question for Mr Girling to ask in the House. By this means their cause would secure publicity, and would attract sympathy from all parts of the Dominion. The chairman observed that, judging by the correspondence, they had that already, but he commended Mr Italy's proposal, which was ultimately adoptsd.