DEFENCE SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1933, Page 11

DEFENCE SERVICES

MEDICAL BRANCHES !\

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

(British Official Wireless.) : KUGBY, August 1. ! Tho Committee on the Medical Branches of the Dofcnce Services, set! up by the Government in 1931, reports' that Service Medical Corps must bo inn proved materially by the provision ofi increased opportunity for professional work, and of greater economic advantt ages. / • : If proposes to reduce the total estab^ lishment and to enable all qualified! officers to specialise if they bo desire^ at the same time increasing the oppoi-t tunities to rise to higher ranks without; abandoning professional for adniiaisi trative work. , Thus, in the Army Medical Branch' the rank of lieutenant-colonel will nom-i inally be reached at 42 instead of 4S, and of colonel at 50 instead of 53, .No. officer will be retired before 55, the* majority not till 57, and some not-till 60. ' ....;■.' Emoluments between the ages of 33) and 50 would be increased by an aver* age of nearly £150 a. year. All officers would.be in the first inj stance entered for short service, nornw ally of five years, and from these wilt be chosen every year tho numbers toj bo retained for life careers. Short ser-> vice officers not desiring or chosen fon permanent retention would be trans* ferred to the reserves with a gratuity of £1000 to assist in buying a private practice. A special medical scholarship would! be created from public funds to bo administered by tho Lord Kitchener Na-< tional Memorial Fund, open to sons of, members of tho forces who wish to enter the medical services. The improvement proposed would be open to future entrants. .........