DOMESTIC STAFFS OF HOSPITALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 199, 23 August 1945, Page 3

DOMESTIC STAFFS OF HOSPITALS

GREAT LACK EXISTS PREPARING PATIENTS’ MEALS “IS A NIGHTMARE.” (P.A.) Wellington, Aug. 22. Addressing the New Zealand Dietetic Association’s annual conference, Miss B. McKenzie head diet.cian at Wellington Hospital and president of the a. sociation, said that ow.ng to a lack of domestic staff, the preparation of food for patients had been almost a nightmare. Unless something was done to relieve the domestic staff, the situation for the future was not hopeful.

Miss M. I. Lambie, director of the Nursing Division, suggested a conference between dieticians, nursi.-.g staffs and the unions concerned to try and reach a plan. Any conclusio. s on the subject from such a conference would be received by her department with much interest. With increasing industrial.sat on, she could not see a prospect of relief. Numerically, the direction for work in hospitals had not been satisfactory. It was much better to have voluntary labour. She suggested that a scheme might include a period of training in hospitals for any sx months, but for this it would be necessary to have the co-operation and support of hospital boards. Miss McKenzie paid a tribute to a small ba: dof willing workers who had assisted some o f them for five to seven years, but said there must be a permanent staff, not only permanent, but also skilled.