PRACTITIONER SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23447, 30 September 1941, Page 8

PRACTITIONER SCHEME

—♦ — POSITION IN CITY The second doctor to accept social security medical benefit cards from patients in Christchurch will commence practice here within a few days, according to Mr G. W. Dell, secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee. Mr Dell said yesterday that the doctor was an alien, but had passed through the required course at the Otago Medical School and had already been in practice in a North Island town. Mr Doll’s statement was made in reply to a correspondent signing himself “Play Fair,’’ who wrote to tfie editor of “The Press” as follows: “I understand that trade union secretaries are submitting medical cards to their members, urging them to fill them in and to accept as their doctor an alien nominated by the Government. This is, I believe, contrary to the act. which says that persons must procure medical cards from the Post Office and themselves find a doctor prepared to accept them. “I am taking up the cudgels on behalf of our doctors who have left this country to be with our boys overseas. If this is the best the Government can do, after it has had three years to put its scheme into operation, and incidentally in that period has taken £37 10s from a person receiving £250 a year, I think it should defer the scheme until our doctors return and in the meantime refund us our 5 per cent, wage tax. It would appear that this mad rush is to get something started before the election.” Mr Dell said that when the canitation scheme first came in t hundreds of persons approached their unions or the Labour Representation Committee asking for the names of doctors who would accept cards. “There is nothing in the act to say that patients must themselves procure a card from the Post Office, and find a doctor themselves,” said Mr Dell. “If the 6000 persons who in Chris church have already filled in cards can’t find a doctor for themselves, anyone, whether a Trades Hall secretary or not. who finds them a doctor, is doing them a service. " ‘Play Fair’ claims that the Government has taken £37 10s from a person earning £250 a year. In return, that person has been insured against old age. sickness, unemployment, and permanent disability, has been able lo claim maternity fees, and has been given free medicines, with the exception of proprietary lines. “Some months ago, the Government offered to pay to lodges the amount paid by the lodges to their doctors. The doctors threatened to break their contracts with the lodges if this money were accepted, on the ground that acceptance of the payments would lower the standard of practice of the profession. I understand that the doctors in Dunedin, Wanganui. Woodville. and Carterton are accepting from lodges money contributed by the Government from the social security funds, and there is no sign that the standard of practice has deteriorated in those towns.” Mr Dell said that within a few days the second doctor to accept cards in Christchurch would be commencing practice. He was certainly not nominated by the Government. SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENT CONSTITUENTS WRITE TO MEMBERS The advertised appeal by opponents of the Government’s medical practitioner service plan for those who agree with them to telegraph or write their protest to their member of Parliament, has been productive of some result. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) told ’’The Press” yesterday that he had received hundreds of such protests, including a big number by the mail yesterday. It was no new practice, Mr Holland said, for those who felt strongly about contentious legislation to write to members of Parliament, and express their grievance, but he had not before known such a volume of response. Mr H. S. S. Kyle, M.P., told “The Press” that in his experience most of the letters came when a bill was under discussion in the House of Representatives, especially when the speeches were being broadcast, as in recent years. It was a frequent practice in New Zealand for constituents to write to the member, but it was rare that advertisements should ask them to do it. PROTEST MEETING CALLED BY MAYOR The Mayor, Mr E. H. Andrews, has called a mass meeting of citizens to protest against the Social Security Amendment Bill. This was announced by Mr Andrews last evening. Mr Andrews said that at the request of a representative deputation, which waited upon him yesterday morning, he had decided to call a mass meeting of citizens to protest against the Social Security Amendment Bill, "popularly known as the ‘doctors’ bill’.” The meeting will be held next Friday evening in the Civic Theatre. Mr Andrews said that he had consented to take the chair. The principal speaker would be Sir James Elliott, of Wellington, and other speakers would be announced later.