WILSON HOME

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20421, 11 February 1938, Page 10

WILSON HOME

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY HAMILTON CRITICISMS HOSPITAL BOARD DISCUSSION The conditions of admission u. patients to the Wilson Home for Clappled Children at Auckland, were agun. the subject ol a lengthy discussion at tiie meeting of the Waikato Hospiiu. Board yesterday. At the January meeting of the boai. the subject was brought before llu attention of members by tiie presentation of a report from the board's secretary, Mr A. C. Burgess, intendeu to clear up any misunderstandings regarding the control of the Aucklanu specialist institution and the terms o. admission to it. At the conclusion of the January meeting the board recommended that two cases from the Waikato area should be sent to the Wilson Home for a period of six weeks, at the expense of the board, as soon as beds were available for them. Procedure Outlined In a letter received from llie secre- j lary of the Auckland Hospital Board to-day, however, the Waikato body was advised that a medical committee had been established to advise on tlie' suitability of cases when admission was sought. The present procedure was:—(l) Parents or guardians apply to tiie board of their own district, accompanying such application with a medical certificate. (2, That board having considered the merits of the case, forwards all papers to me, together with a guarantee regarding fees. C 3) A special medical committee at fnis end considers the application, and recommends accordingly to the Wilson Home committee, which in turn gives its decision. (4; Patient is admitted for three weeks to the I Auckland Hospital, for observation with regard to treatment required, and also to ensure that no infection shall be carried into the home. (5) At the expiry of the three weeks, provided that everything is satisfactory, the patient is admitted to the home. In the cases which the Waikato board had suggested sending forward the above procedure had not been followed. “In any case,” the letter continued, “our medical superintendent Is strongly of the opinion that a period of six weeks Is far too short for any definite results to be arrived at, or any permanent good achieved. In his opinion, at least six months would be required, and even then it should be entirely at the discretion of the Wilson Home authorities as to whether the case should or should not be discharged.

While no definite number of beds had been allocated to outlying districts, no discrimination was made, 10 of the first 23 cases having come from outside districts. Board’s Responsibilities The secretary to the Auckland board also wrote concerning a child in the Waikato area whose parents wished to secure treatment for him at the Wilson Home. The Waikato board was advised that the case had been i approved as suitable for treatment in ; the home, that the board would be held responsible for the cost involved—6s a day during the three weeks the child would be at the Auckland hospital and 16s a day while in the home. “Your board,*’ the letter stated, “must definitely accept financ al responsibility for the case during the whole time that the patient is in this board’s care, whether such period exceeds the two years provided in the Act or not.” “Asking for Trouble” “If you agree to these conditions,'’ commented Mr J. Price, “you are only asking for trouble.’’ For all practical considerations, what it amounted to was that the Waikato board would have to pay for all patients going lo the Wilson Home for its area, said Mr W. R. Lowry. No Difference in Treatment “Our treatment here is as good as that provided at the home,” he went on, “and if patients from here are to be sent to Auckland then our own medical superintendent is the only person who should make the recommendation.” Asked to comment on the facilities available at the Wilson Home and Waikato Hospital, the medical superintendent, Dr. M. M. Hockin, stated that the treatment available at Waikato Hospital was quite satisfactory and efficient. He had asked the secretary of the Auckland Crippled Children’s Society what they could do that the Waikato Hospital could not, and he .had replied “nothing.'' That was the position at the moment. Later on, with the erection of a solarium, the Wilson Home would have a definite advantage.

The opinion was expressed by the chairman, Mr J. J. Ryburn, that the Waikato board could not guarantee fees under the conditions laid down, over an indefinite period, and on his motion, it was decided to advise the Auckland body that the Waikato board could not agree to guarantee fees for a period in excess of six months; that the board reserved the right to, say whether its patients should stay longer than the sixmonths period or not, and that it would not authorise the admission to Hie home of any patient without the recommendation of their own medical superintendent. Tiie board would accept no responsibility in other cases-. View of Department "In view of the particular class of patient to be dealt with in the Wilson Home during the next year or so ,aid the relatively large staff required for their proper care and treatment your estimate of the average daily cost per patient., the department agrees, is fully warranted.” stated the Direc-tor-General of Health, Dr M. 11. Watt, in a letter to the Auckland Hospital Board, enclosed with that board’s communications on the subject of' the Wilson Home. “With regard, however, to the question of charges against patients,” stated Dr. Watt, “in view of the generally prolonged treatment involved, if. is considered undesirable I hat a rate as high as J(’*s u day should he adopted. “With the best of endeavours to modify Hie charge in particular cases, there is every likelihood that a charge of 16s a day would seriously deter

parents from applying for treatment.” The writer recommended that a maximum of 10s a day should be considered by the Auckland board when dealing with parents, “or such less charge as may be agreed upon in any particular case.”