Inspection of Private Hospitals

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVII, Issue 4, 1 October 1924, Page 141

Inspection of Private Hospitals

Much attention has of late been paid to the question of supervision of hospitals established by nurses and doctors for the reception of private patients. More especially has the need for constant inspection m the case of maternity hospitals been emphasised by the late enquiry concerning Kelvin Hospital at Auckland, the result of which was published m our last issue. It must be understood that inspection is not carried out merely for the purpose of detection and prevention of neglect or unsatisfactory work on the part of the proprietors of hospitals, but also with the object of assisting and encouraging those nurses who are often working against great difficulties, and who m our experience have welcomed and desired the visits of their fellow nurses, with whom they can discuss their affairs and be met with understanding and sympathy. Inspection of private hospitals has

been carried out m New Zealand for many years, and since 1906 it has been compulsory for such establishments to be under the management of registered nurses or midwives. The law now requires the proprietors or licensees to be also either registered medical practitioners or registered nurses or midwives, and regulations lay down the number of registered nurses or midwives required to staff each hospital. In England we note, m the "Hospital and Health Review,' 7 that it is only now that a Bill is drafted by the College of Nursing "to provide for the registration and inspection of nursing homes by county councils and county borough councils," which requires that the person m charge and the nurses shall be State-registered under pain of a fine, but it is not till 1930 that all the nurses must be registered. The inspection of hospitals owned by doctors is mentioned, and it is remarked

that such licensees would welcome inspection if carried out by a medical officer of health and not by a registered nurse. While agreeing that inspection by a member of his own profession would be more welcome by the doctor, it must be remembered that it is the nurse manager or matron and her work with whom the nurse inspectors would mostly be concerned, but m our experience it has been found that the medical owners of private hospitals have, far from resenting inspection by a nurse from the Health Department, been

pleased to welcome her visit and discuss matters with her. Perfection m the equipment, staffing, and management of private hospitals, maternity and general, is an ideal at which to aim; but care must be taken not to make it impossible for those who undertake this necessary work to carry on owing to the greal expense involved — expense which can only be met by greatlyincreased fees which would be a burden on many of those who desire to make use of private hospitals.