HOSPITAL POLICY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 228, 26 September 1931, Page 8

HOSPITAL POLICY

RIGHT OF ADMISSION

LONG-DISPUTED MATTER DISCUSSION AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, Sept. 25. At a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday the question of hospital policy not only here, but throughout the Dominion in regard to the class of patients entitled to treatment was raised and discussed. Mrs. J. K. Preston moved: “That the following resolution passed at a meeting of the board on July 31 last, be rescinded: ‘That full particulars be obtained from all applicants for treatment at the outpatient, X-ray, urological, and massage departments, and that a member of any family in receipt of more than 15s per head per week be referred to outside medical practitioners and specialists—urgent cases excepted.’ ’’ The adoption of this resolution, said Mrs. Preston, was causing a great deal of hardship, for numbers of deserving cases were excluded by reason of the conditions imposed. When the motion was originally proposed, members of the board were not by any means unanimous in regard to it. It meant reducing th revenue of board at a time when money was badly needed.

Mrs. Vicar was of opinion that the whole position would need to be reviewed.

Dr. R. Campbell Begg stressed the need at the present juncture of reducing hospital expenditure, and expressed his opinion that an annual saving of half a million could be effected in the annual hospital expenditure of the Dominion. An outline of IDr. Begg’s remarks was published yesterday. An Act of Parliament. The chairman (Mr. F. Castle) said there wag no doubt the motion proposed by Mrs. Preston involved a very im portant principle. As Dr. Campbell Begg had stated, the principle was applicable not only to the Wellington Hospital but to all New Zealand hospitals. He was not prepared to support Mrs. Preston’s proposal to rescind the resolution adopted by the board at a recent meeting, although the board’s decision might possibly inflict temporary hardship on some patient?. The question of the eligibility of patients to public hospitals was the biggest question before the country ‘e cay in con nection with hospital po’icy. This problem had been “'discussed for many years, and had never been settled. Mr. Castle quoted various opinions ex pressed on this question as far back as 1911. At a hospital boards conference held in that yea* one mamVer said the admission of any «on into u hospital was a statutorv light, and no board had the right to refuse admission to any person. Mr. J. A. Young (now Minister of Health) said that “every man had a right to seek admission to a hospital. Hospitals should bp regarded as national institutions for the benefit of all, because they all contributed lowa’d their upkeep.” The then Direc-tor-General of Health (Dr. Valin tine) said “a hospital could not refuse, if it had room, patients who wore in a position to pay for medical attendance.” “The opinions of board members varied then, as thev no doubt vary now,” said Mr. Castle. “Legal oomions varv; and we do not know who.'T we stand in regard to this important part oT the Now Zealand hospital system. I think Parliament should lay down a specific policy for hospital hoards to follow.” Mr. Castle concluded by saying that the hoard must stand hy the resolution it had passed otherwise they would not know whore thev were.

Mr. C. M. Luke said there had been differences of opinion in regard to this matter for many years past. As to the rescinding motion proposed hy Mrs. Pieston, it was a pity that it was not doomed until the er’d of the financial year He thought the mover wa iH he well advised to allow the resolution recently adopted by the board to remain the rule in the meantime.

Mr. A. J. Curdy said he did not see any necessity to alter or rescind the resolution recently adopted. Mrs. Preston’s proposal to rescind the board’s resolution adopted on July 31, was defeated on the voices.