Doctor numbers

Press, 10 December 1979, Page 20

Doctor numbers

Sir, — The case of the surplus doctors (“The Press,” December 3) as quoted by R. R. Beauchamp (December 5) is certainly a contradictory statement by the Minister of Health, Mr Gain More care for the sick, more preventive medicine and happier lives are already a pipe dream, and “fewer hospitals” are flights of fancy on Mr Gair’s part to give credence to the need to set up controls to forestall the entry of too many doctors into general practice “resulting in sharply rising costs of general medical, pharmaceutical and other benefits.” The result is much more likely to be even longer waits in doctors’ waitingrooms and much less time devoted to those who do try to wait for a consultation. R. R. Beauchamp will find that the mind boggles even more when he faces the appalling prospect of paying $1.60 for the much needed prescription and $4 for repeats, or another visit to the “surplus doctors.” — Yours, etc., L. E. REID. December 5, 1979.