MATERNITY PLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 8

MATERNITY PLAN.

DOCTORS' OFFER.

PROPOSALS EXPLAINED.

" ELIMINATE REGULATIONS."

'By Telegraph.—Tress Association.)

XELSOX. tliis day

Interviewed regarding the nature of the proposal* which tlie medical profession have formulated, the president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, Dr. J. P. S. Jamieson, stated that the proposals n<W put forward were a modification of the previous offer which the Government rejected to operate the maternity benefit as a cash benefit to the patient.

1 lie present offer, like the former, he said, was devised specifically to eliminate individual contracts and" regulations which had proved an obstacle to the Government's present scheme.

"In brief," Dr. Jamieson explained, "the fresh proposals stipulate payments to doctors for maternity service from the social security t'und on proof of service. The payments are for the usual and special services, and additional professional assistance when required. The scales of these payments are to be agreed upon and periodically revised." . They would, he said, be in full satisfaction except that in the case of recognised specialists additional private fees were to be recoverable, any patient to have the right at will to make private arrangements outside the scheme and any doctor to have the right to enter into such arrangements.

The general effect of this arrangement, Dr. Jamieson added, would be that maternity work would proceed as hitherto, but patients who wished to avail themselves could have the medical costs of it defrayed by the social security fund. Xo panel lists, no contracts and no committees were required, and the administrative machinery would ho a minimum.

In conclusion, Dr. Jamieson said the profession was prepared to undertake work fin this basis, provided that the existing legislation was amended to give effect to proposals in lieu of the C ivernment's scheme, and that the amending legislation, including the regulations, was first submitted to the association and agreed upon.