Doctors’ Fees: Labour Party Seeks Inquiry

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28888, 7 May 1959, Page 16

Doctors’ Fees: Labour Party Seeks Inquiry

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 6.

Remits calling on the Government to investigate doctors’ fees and the quality of dentists’ work were adopted today by the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party.

Before the conference was a remit which read: “That the Social Security Act be amended to include:—(l) ambulance services, (2) funeral benefits, (3) doctors’ fees, (4) specialist attention to children with defective eyesight and hearing, (5) all prescriptions, and (6) the rehabilitation of persons whose abilities have been seriously impaired by illness or accident.”

Section one was referred to the policy committee; section two was rejected; section three was referred to the Government for serious consideration and investigation into fees; section four was referred to the Government for consideration, with a recommendation that the public should be-v encouraged to find out the scopes of the service available; section five was referred to the Government in order that a review might be made of drugs and medicines' supplied free; and section six was noted as being already in operation. Another remit, asking that the quality of work done by dentists under social security be investigated, was referred to the Minister of Health for discussion with the department with a view to instituting a method of inspection.

The conference also recommended to the Government that it consider continuing the dental benefit while children attended secondary school. The Minister of Health was asked to ensure that rosters were drawn up covering the availability of doctors at night, on holidays and during the weekend. The department was asked to carry out checks to ascertain that doctors were available for all emergencies. A remit that the family benefit be reduced to 10s a week where the income exceeded £l5OO a year was rejected.

The conference recommended that the length of time for admittance to public hospitals should be investigated, and that the Government should consider amending the Mental Health Act to bring it into line with the modern approach to mental illness.