£10,000 A YEAR

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24052, 14 September 1943, Page 4

£IO,OOO A YEAR

GROSS EARNINGS OF SOME DOCTORS

WORKING OF MEDICAL BENEFITS EXAMINED

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, Sept. 13. “Some medical men, who cannot be called eminent in their profession today, have during the year ended March 31 last, received from the social security funds gross receipts totalling £IO,OOO each,” said a former member of the Medical Council, Dr. W. Newlands, who presided at a meeting tonight, addressed by Brigadier A. S. Falconer, the National Party candidate for Dunedin West. ' , Dr, Newlands declared that he knew there were at least three medical men in this category. Some of the money was earned under the panel scheme, some by the fee for service scheme, and some by maternity work. _ Their receipts in each case were equivalent to 73 attendances on each of the 365 days in the year, and if a doctor worked 10 hours a day, that meant that he must see seven persons an hour, allowing for travelling time. . "That is what ts actually happening in New Zealand,” Dr. Newlands added. “The Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, knows it. No doctor can pretend to give service at that rate, but Mr Nordmeyer allows it' to go on Decause some of these people were the first to go in and help to work his schemes/’ ■