Hospital Control and the Health Scheme

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22390, 2 May 1938, Page 8

Hospital Control and the Health Scheme

The evidence submitted by the Counties Association to the Select Committee on National Health and State Superannuation draws attention to one of the major omissions in the Prime Minister’s outline of his social security scheme the absence of any reference to the effects of the scheme on the present method of administering and financing hospitals. Free hospital treatment, as proposed by the Government, is likely to lead to some increase in the cost of hospitals, which is at present borne partly by the consolidated fund and partly by local authorities. Since the contribution made by local authorities Is apportioned according to the capital value of land, it is clear that the rural ratepayer pays more than his equitable share of the cost of hospitals. There is no answer to the contention of the Counties Association that it would be fairer to apportion the hospital levy on a basis of population. But it seems obvious that the institution of a national free health service requires more fundamental changes in the hospital system than this. Perhaps the greatest weakness in the existing system qf health services is that the control of hospitals is almost entirely divorced from the control of educative and preventive health services, which are administered by the Health Department; and any extension of benefits such as is proposed by the Government must accentuate this weakness. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that the Government has plans for reorganising the administration and finance of hospitals, plans which the public is entitled to know about.