While Paper on Health

Press, Issue 33842, 14 May 1975, Page 16

While Paper on Health

Sir, — Having lived in Britain during the inception of the health service in 1945 I can only too well understand the attitude of the Medical Association in resisting a similar experiment here. The waste both of time and money in the interests of the nation’s health had to be seen to be believed. The public were invited to register with their own doctor for a nominal annual sum, and thereafter call on his services at will. Great advantage (especially in a rural population) was taken of this privilege, and the most frivolous grounds exploited for making demands on the local practitioner. Another gross waste of money and manpower was to send ambulances from the nearest hospital (in this case eight miles away) for fullyambulant cases on the list for orthopaedic treatment, even though public transport was readily available. Much of my poor country’s present predicament is due to such idiotically wasteful practices. — Yours etc., I. S. TREW.

May 11, 1975. Sir, — Your leading article about health services has as many weaknesses in it as any other statement which tries to introduce expediency as an argument. For example “the nationalisation of all (hospitals) . . . must mean longer waiting lists at public hospitals.” Presumably nationalised private hospitals become public hospitals and the only question then is manpower, but this is no different from what it was before. And the total cost to the people of New Zealand should be no different from what it was before either. So what has the taxpayer got to lose? — Yours etc.. G. C. SUGGATE. May 12, 1975.