“ STAFF OVERWORKED AT BOTTLE LAKE.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18576, 26 September 1928, Page 1

“ STAFF OVERWORKED AT BOTTLE LAKE.”

COMMITTEE ASKED TO PRESENT REPORT. That the matron and staff of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Burwood, were'very much overworked, was a statement made at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board today. The board referred the matter to its Hospital Committee for a report. Conditions at Bottle Lake were referred to in the Public Health Committee’s report, as follow“ The medical officer of ; the Infectious Diseases Hospital reports that a number of the cases recently in the institution have been developing enlarged glands, thus necessitating a longer stay in the institution. He has had a fair measure of success with scarlet fever serum, and it is likely that he will be using it in a greater number of cases in the hope of reducing the condition which has been characteristic in the present outbreak. The -number of infectious cases dealt with at the institution during the month of August was 374, comprising : Scarlet fever 365, diphtheria 9 7 total .374. This is a record for the institution. The 1916-17 epidemic reached, on one occasion, a total of 200 patients in the institution. In this year the total has approached 230, and a large number of cases were being nursed in their own homes. Up to the end of August out of practically a thousand cases that have occurred since the beginning of the year, there has been only one death. This must be regarded as very satisfactory so far as the staff of the institution is concerned. The committee wishes to make comment on the very excellent work that has been done by the permanent staff of the institution during the extremely trying time through which they have passed. It is not unusual for nurses to be sent to the institution to assist, and within three or four days to be amongst the patients. The matron and her permanent assistants deserve every consideration from the board, and arrangements have now been made to give SO J tie i. relief by short holidays for those who have suffered most from the great strain that they have been under Their regular holidays will come later.”

An Emergency Staff. Mrs M’Combs said that the matron at Bottle Lake was overworked. The fc ° a i r ? shou,d provide a staff which could he drawn upon not only for Bottle Lake, but also for country hospitals. Nurses should not be worked until they dropped and then given a few days holiday as a gift. As a body of responsible men and women, the board had no right to put such a strain on the people in its employ. The board should consider the formation of a stand-by staff that could be drawn upon in an emergency. The speaker moved that the Public Health Committee should be instructed to bring down a report on the question of providing an additional stand-by staff for the outside hospitals. “Matron Rim Down.” Mrs T Green, who seconded the motion, said that since she had been on the committee she had felt that Bottle Lake was understaffed. Even before the scarlet fever epidemic, the matron at Burwood was run down. When the speaker visited the institution, the matron was in a crying state. Patients came in sometimes at the rate of fourteCa a . da *£' Tbe s P eaker had felt that under-staffing was right through the in stitution. The chairman (Mr H. J. Otley): The matron has not applied for more staff S t re askin S for »s very nice,’ Mrs M Combs, but I don’t know how you are going to do it. “Things are Satisfactory.” Mr A T. Smith: It is not only one or two of us round the table who have the interests of the nurses at heart. We have tried to help the nurses in the past by getting accommodation for an increased staff, but have been blocked brother members of the board. object to the remarks of Mr Smith,” declared Mr F. Horrell. “If the board had carried my recommendation years ago ” “ I rang the matron this mornine ” continued Mr Smith, “ and asked her if she wanted extra staff, and she replied uic*l tilings were satisfactory. I took Miss Muir, matron of the Christchurch Hospital, down there also to have a look over the place.” e a - Mr H. H. Holland said that he knew hat some of the people in responsible positions under the board had been run down, but he firmly believed that much of that was due to the publication bv m u m uT th£ board of complaints which had not at that time been thor oughly investigated. The motion instructing the Hosnital Committee to prepare a report was car ried unanimously.