REASON FOR DELAY IN ATTENDING TO INJURED FAULTMAN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 166, 19 July 1946, Page 4

REASON FOR DELAY IN ATTENDING TO INJURED FAULTMAN

EXPLANATION GIVEN TO HOSPITAL BOARD A full explanation of the delay which occurred before' a faullman employed by the Wanganui-Kan-gitikei Power Board was removed io the Batea Hospital, following an accident at Maxwell on July (i, was given al the monthly meeting yesterday of the Wanganui Hospital Board. ('orrespondenee disclosed that a bed was ready for the injured man at the Wanganui Hospital, and that the St. John Free Ambulance responded Io a call received from a medical practitioner in Wanganui. The ambulance was stopped at Westmere, however, after the same doctor had asked that it. should be recalled. A further letter before the board gave the doctor’s reasons for this action.

After hearing all the facts of the case, board members agreed that ther the Hospital Board nor the Ambulance service were in any way blameworthy for what had occurred. Correspondence was received from the Wanganui - Rangitikei Power Board, the St. John Free Ambulance, and the doctor concerned.

Mr. N. Hughes (Maxwell) said at the outset that the Hospital Board was under "a very severe” cloud as a result of what had happened. He hoped the matter would be cleared up at this meeting.

“The Power Board has unreservediv accepted the assurance that the fault did not lie with the ambulance," said the Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C. "It is satisfied that there is no reflection on the ambulance.” DOCTOR’S EXPLANATION.

The following letter, received from the doctor concerned, was read by the secretary, Mr. K. Harris:

“I received a message on Saturday afternoon, July 6, to go to Maxwell. Details were very meagre and 1 was unable to go, so immediately communicated with the people concerned. They stated that an electrician nad received a shock and had fallen from a power pole. I decided on the information given that an ambulance was necessary, so telephoned the amoulance headquarters and was told an ambulance would leave immediately. “I then rang the hospital to reser\e a bed and found that beds were very scarce, so oecided to obtain more pre cise informal on on the man's condition, and. jossibly to save the amn’:lance an unnecessary trip. I rang headquarters again to postpone it. Unfortunately ii had already Jett, nut with the co-operation of the operator it was stopped at Westmere. “I receved details irom a trained nurse who had arrived to look after the injured man, that he was sitting up drinking tea, quite conscious an • really not very distressed bv his fall. Follow.ng this conversation I spoke to a Power Board Inspector who was also present and who corroborated the nqrse’s statement. On questioning, he informed me that the man lived m Waverley and that he thought he was fit to travel thence bv motor-car. I instructed him to take'the man to l.is ow.i home, put him to bed, and summon Dr. Duncan or Dr. Graves. I then cancelled the ambulance.

“From further information 1 gather that the man was admitted to Palea Hospital by Dr. Duncan, and th it X-Ray since reveals a doubtful fracture of a cervical vertebra. I trust that these facts will help to clear un any misunderstanding that has arisen. BOARD NOT INVOLVED. The chairman, Mr. D. D. Simpson (Hui terville) said he could not see ho..’ the Hospital Board was involved in ibis matter. "A bed was made available- here and later jn the afternoon the house surgeon reported to tin? medical superintendent that Hr ambulance call had been cancelled.” the chairman added. “The house surgeon did suggest that lhe man be breught in for examination.” Mr. J C. Batt: The doctor in charge of ihe hospital at the time nad prepared a bed and it was ready if the patient had been brought in.

Board members must realise that in spite of the shortage of beds, a bed was always available for an accident case, or a case where a person required examination after an accident, said the chairman. "Beds are alwaw in reserve for urgent cases,” he added. Mr. Rogers said the doctor concerned had acted on information he had received by telephone. He thought the doctor should be heard bv the board.

The chairman: The board has no intention of sitting in judgment on the doctor.

Mr. T. C. Kincaid (Taihape): W cannot do that.

The chairman said that Mr. Hughes had reported that the board was in disfavour because of the incident. “Our duty was to show that the board was in no way responsible for what happened," the chairman added. “A bed was available and the house surgeon advised the doctor to send the ambulance out and bring the man in," said the medical sunerinlendent. Dr. H. L. Widdowson. “Hp heard no more til] he was told that, the patient wr.s not coming."

"The board did all it could, and all it. was supposed to do,” said Mr. A. P. Howard (M***ton). “That should end the matter."

The medical superintendent said that when the doctor telephoned lhe hospital he had an urgent call to Wangpehu. and could not go in the other direction.

The chairmr.il said that no resolution from the board was necessary, hut he agreed with Mr. Hughes that letters of explanation he .*?nt to the wife of th” injured man and also to the Palea Hospital Ecard. The hoard dec ded to adopt this