DISCIPLINING OF DOCTORS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26129, 3 June 1950, Page 3

DISCIPLINING OF DOCTORS

COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK

CHECK ON ABUSES OF MEDICAL BENEFITS

From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, June 1. The Medical Disciplinary Committee set up under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1949, has just held its first meeting in Wellington. Its tasks include checking abuses of the Social Security Act. Dr. J. P. S. Jamieson, of Nelson, has been elected chainman of the committee. The Government nominee on the committee of five is Dr. Duncan Cook, of the Health Department. Officially all that has been disclosed about the first meeting is that it dealt with matters of procedure. Part 3 of the Social Security Amendment Act, 1949 (the section dealing with medical services) came into operation by direction of the Minister of Health (Mr J. T. Watts > on April 4. This provides material for serious consideration and vigilance by the committee.

The committee is charged with the duty of dealing with any charges of professional misconduct, ‘ but where such charges are considered to amount to grave impropriety, or infamous conduct in a professional respect. the committee must refer them to the Medical Council. Where, however, the committee decides that a practitioner has been guilty of professional misconduct it may, if it thinks fit, and subject to the provisions of the act on appeals, order him to pay a penalty not exceeding £lOO to the British Medical Association, censure him. or order him to pay costs or expenses incidental to the inquiry. Tlie Medical Practitioners Act. under which the committee is constituted,. placed upon the Disciplinary Committee the duty of inquiring into any complaints against registered medical practitioners in connexion with matters covered by the medical service section of the Social Security Amendment Act. It is empowered under the Medical Practitioners Act to make recommendations to the Minister about any complaints that may be made against doctors, and to order the doctors concerned to pay the costs of inquiry.

Similarly, the committee is empowered to deal with any charge of professional misconduct arising from such complaints. The costs and expenses of the Disciplinary Committee or the Divisional Disciplinary Committees are being borne partly by the B.M.A. and partly by Parliamentary appropriation.

It is expected that one of the first duties of the Disciplinary Committee will be to investigate some of the alleged abuses of the pharmaceutical benefits under the Social Security Act.