DOCTORS’ BILL

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 6, 2 October 1941, Page 8

DOCTORS’ BILL

B.M.A. Attitude To Changes TWO CLAUSES OPPOSED “The profession considers that the Bill still retains at least two features which render it entirely unacceptable to the profession,” says a statement on the Social Security Amendment Bill issued by the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association yesterday. "The first of the two features is the fixation of the basic fee by Act of Parliament, instead of by an independent tribunal having the power to hear representations from the parties concerned and having power from time to time to alter and amend such fees in accordance with changed conditions. Such procedure is. known to be followed in all other cases of fixation of wages, prices, and so on. “The other feature which is utterly repugnant to the profession is the amended form of clause 9a, which still debars the profession from that access to the law courts which hitherto lias been the inalienable right of every member of the community. “While these features remain, the Bill continues to be unacceptable to the profession.” i FEE FOR SERVICE Increase Seen As Bribe To Doctors DR. JAMIESON’S VIEW "It seems there are amendments proposed which are to come down in com mittee. There has been a general statement as to what the amendments are to be, but what their actual words and effect will be I do not know,” said Dr. J. S. Jamieson, chairman of the health insurance committee of the New Zealand branch of the 8.M.A1, when Ik* was communicated with at Nelson last night for his comment on the amendments to the Bill now before the House. Dr. Jamieson added that throughout the controversy over the medical benefits the doctors had never mentioned the question of the amount of payment for their services. They had consistently kept to the point of the maintenance of the quality of their services to the public. "We understand that by the amendments -to be proposed, the fee for services lias been raised by roughly 50 per cent, from that originally proposed in the Bill,” he said. "That is not due to any suggestion whatever from the doctors. One can only conclude that this very substantial advance has been put forward as a bribe, it is a bribe to the doctors to induce them to depart from the principles for which they have stood in order that the doctors’ services may be offered as a nribe to the electors.”

The objectionable features of the Bill still remained, said Dr. Jamieson. There was, so far as he knew, no arbitration. The Minister remained the sole judge without the right of appeal, and the medical profession, alone out of all the people, was denied access to the courts. Why should the doctors be outlawed, and whose turn would it be next to be outlawed? NEW ISSUES Government’s Change Of Ground The Government had changed its ground so much that the whole matter would have to be considered de novo, said tlie president of the Wellington division of the 8.M.A., Dr. W. F. Shirer. There would be. a meeting of the division today and the position would be discussed then. Dr. Shirer said that there were no "big men” in the B.M.A. who told the other members what to do. The minority could express themselves freely and there was probably no more democratic body in the community than the B.M.A. In view of that the solidarity and unanimity shown regarding the Government’s proposals were remarkable. AH the decisions of the Wellington division that had gone forward recently to the council of the B.M.A. had been unanimous. “HIGHER BRIBES” B.M.A. President’s Strong Protest ONLY ONE SOLUTION (By Telegraph —Press Association.) HASTINGS, October 1. In a statement this afternoon Dr. H. M. Wilson, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, said: "The Government is now satisfied that the public in this country will not tolerate coercion of the medical profession and. so it has decided to offer higher bribes to entice the doctors into its web —that is, a State medical monopoly. "I would be failing m my duty if 1 did not protest with all my might against this bartering of the health of the people. The profession hitherto has saved itself by its own exertion and constancy. It should now, more than ever, insist that there is only one solution (not bigger fees) and that solution is to leave the question to a well-chosen nou-political body. "The Government has shown by the frequent failure of its plans that it really does not understand the problem. It is approaching it too much from the. political side nt the expense of the medical. Surely it is now evident to the Government and to the public that this important problem cannot be settled by Father Christmas technique.” PROTEST MEETING Prime Minister To Receive Deputation Mr. Will Appleton, convener of the Citizens' Protest Committee, has been advised that the Prime Minister will receive a deputation from his committee on Friday morning. It will be recalled that this organization recently sponsored a largely-attended meeting of citizens in the ■Wellington Town Hall when the Social Security Amendment Bill was strongly criticized.