Alarm At Lack Of Country Doctors

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31378, 25 May 1967, Page 12

Alarm At Lack Of Country Doctors

Alarm at the problem of finding doctors to fill country practices was expressed by National Party delegates at the annual conference of the Canter-bury-Westland division of the party yesterday.

Mr A. E. Hiatt, of Rangiora, told the conference that there was a big imbalance between the numbers of doctors available in country and in city areas.

He claimed that while the country was short, there was a surplus in the cities. In 23 country areas doctors had to be directed to fill vacancies, but the situation affected many more areas.

He said country people realised that there were more advantages offering doctors in the cities but there seemed to be a case for zoning and the encouragement of country partnerships. Dr. J. R. Dawson (Fendalton) said the problem regrettably boiled down to one of finance in that country doctors could not get adequate returns for the time and travel involved in attending patients. He said the common belief in medical circles was that if country doctors were given a greater mileage allowance there would be more inducement to stay.

At present they received Is 3d a mile, which had been determined in 1941 and never increased. Dr. Dawson said country doctors had few opportunities to meet with colleagues and one doctor he knew of had not left his area for two years. The conference carried the remit that the Government be urged to create conditions that would induce an adequate supply of doctors to the country areas. The conference rejected a remit from the Timaru branch that the Government be asked to investigate contracting out of the national health services in favour of insurance companies. The conference carried a remit from the Rangiora branch that the Government

give urgent consideration to the building of further cottage and residential homes with hospital wings for senior citizens.