COERCION STIGMA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 212, 8 September 1941, Page 2

COERCION STIGMA

IN MEDICAL SCHEME

DEFECTS SEEN IN NEW BILL

Two fundamental objections to the J Government's general practitioner scheme were voiced by the president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, Dr. H. M. Wilson, of Hastings, in an expression of his personal views in Auckland during the week-end. "In the first place," he said, "it forces a revolutionary and socialistic change upon our profession behind the backs of those of our members serving in the forces overseas and, secondly, it substitutes conscription for private rights as a permanent feature of medical practice."

He declared that the proposals represented a set of terms and conditions which the Government would not dare to force on a trade union. Any idea of agreement or contract in the relationship of patient and doctor was abolished in the bill, and the door was shut against any appeal by the doctors to the principles and benefits of collective bargaining. At present a third of the members of the profession were engaged on war service, and it was grossly unjust to make such a sweeping change in their absence. The members of the medical profession had never failed in their duty to the community.

"The bill is vicious in principle and is certain to be injurious in practice," said Dr. Wilson. "It rests upon coercion, an ugly word to British people. It takes away the natural right of some hundreds of doctors who are not here to protect themselves. It will do nothing to improve medical service in general or to secure a worthwhile improvement in the health of the people."

Will Doctors Tender Evidence? A special meeting of the council of the B.M.A. in New Zealand will be held to coasider the bill, said Dr. L. G. Drurv. president of the Auckland division. One question for discussion would probably be whether the association should tender evidence on the bill before the Public Health Committee of the House of Representatives. He stated that the Auckland division would meet on Wednesday to discuss the bill.

Criticisms of the bill by Auckland doctors stress many defects. The services of medical practitioners, it is stated, are poorly defined, and no provision is made for recognising members of the profession as specialists in particular branches of work. It is an established principle that specialists, because of their higher qualifications or wider experience, are entitled to a higher fee than general practitioners. It appears that under the bill a specialist, no matter how skilled or distinguished, is to be denied any extra payment for his study and experience.

The initiation of the."free" system will, it is considered, also tend to increase the work of doctors as a result of people with trivial ailments seeking advice when ordinary household remedies and a little home nursing are all they need. This will create a problem \inder present conditions when the profession is heavily burdened with work. Some provision is regarded as necessary, in the form of a small fee payable by the patient, to discourage unnecessary calls.