G.M.S. ‘benefits for patients’

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 4

G.M.S. ‘benefits for patients’

PA Wellington Doctors say they can no longer go on fighting with the Government for higher benefits for their patients. The Medical Association’s council at a meeting in Wellington yesterday agreed that in future the association would not get involved in negotiations with the Government over the general medical services (G.M.S.) benefit. The chairman, Dr John Broadfoot, said that in the last five years the association had become closely involved in the G.M.S. negotiations in an attempt to improve benefit levels for patients. “But what must be emphasised is that this is a benefit for patients, not doctors,” he said. The association had argued strongly for an increased general medical services benefit, but- Dr Broadfoot said the “zeal” of their argument had led to the impression that doctors were negotiating for themselves.

This had led to doctors’ being accused of greed. Doctors were concerned that patients had no machinery to fight themselves for increases in the G.M.S. “But our attempts on their behalf have been a disaster for the profession and the long negotiations have resulted in no satisfactory change in the benefit,” said Dr Broadfoot.