Clinical Assistants Recommended for Wanganui Hospital

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 October 1947, Page 4

Clinical Assistants Recommended for Wanganui Hospital

Though approving of the Wanganui; Hospital Board’s scheme lor appoint-] ing clinical assistants and an assistant medical superintendent, the Depart- 1 rnent of Health, in a letter received by the board at its monthly meeting yesterday, stated that there must be; no increase in total medical salaries? The cost,of medical salaries at the’ Wanganui Hospital, it was stated, was! already high when compared with’ other institutions of a similar size. I The chairman. Mr. D. D. Simpson I (Hunterville) said the scheme had: been discussed fully by the appoint-; ments’ Committee, which had recom-1 mended in favour of the appointments. Mr. A. S. Coleman (Marton): The] department’s attitude ns something ini the nature of a stone wall. The chairman said that there were several questions which had to be’ taken up by the board with the Minis-’ ter of Health (Miss Howard/ in Wellington and this wax one of them. I On his suggestion it v.as decided that, a deputation consisting of the chairman, the Hon. W. J, Rogers, M.L.C., and the secretary. Mr. K. Harris, waitj on the Minister in the near future. I The appointments Committee statedl that it had considered the question of the appointment of clinical assistants. ’ "After a general discussion," the| report added "it was recommended that a certain number should be ap-| pointed as soon as possible, and the’ position reviewed at a later date to see whether or not more could be appointed. To commence it was considered that four clinical assistants would be sufficient, that is two in addition to these who have already been appointed. The following four clinical assistantships are suggested: Medicine, anaesthesia, general surgery. cancer and urology. "It was also recommended that the i board give favourable ' consideration to the appointment of an assistant medical superintendent." the report stated. Moving the adoption of the report.’ the chairman said that the clinical as-1 sistan ts would not undertake work in-1 dependently, but would be directed solely by the part-time visiting staff, the suggested salary being £5O per annum. The clinical assistants would obtain further experience and in trie event of members of the visiting staff being absent the assistants could carry on to a certain extent. "We must give junior doctors an opportunity of extending and widening their knowledge.” said the Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C.. who added that the senior doctors had approached this question in a spirit of goodwill. Referring to the appointment of an assistant, medical superintendent, the! chairman said that this was necessary. The medical superintendent (Dr. H.

L. Widdowso'D could not lie expected to be on duty for 24 hours a day. After a discussion the committee’s report, was adopted and it was agreed that a deputation wait on the Minister in Wellington.