MEDICAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1939, Page 10

MEDICAL SERVICE

MATERNITY BENEFITS

PROFESSION'S NEW PROPOSALS

THE OFFER OUTLINED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

NELSON, This Day.

Interviewed regarding the nature of the proposals which the medical profession has formulated, Dr. J. P. S. | Jamieson stated that the proposals now put forward were a modification of [the previous offer, which the Government had rejected, to operate maternity benefits as cash benefits to the patients. The present offer, like the former one, was devised specifically to eliminate the individual contracts and regulations which had proved an obstacle to the Government's present scheme. "In brief," Dr. Jamieson said, "the fresh proposals stipulate payments to doctors for maternity service from the Social Security Fund, on proof of service. The payments are for the usual and special services and additional professional assistance when required." The scales of these payments are to be agreed upon and periodically revised. They would be in full satisfaction, except that in the case of recognised specialists additional private fees were to be recoverable, any patient to have the right at will to make private arrangements outside the scheme and any doctor to have the right to enter into such arrangements. The general effect of this arrangement, Dr. Jamieson added, would be that maternity work would proceed as hitherto, but patients who wished to avail themselves could have the medical costs of it defrayed by the Social Security Fund. No panel lists, no contracts, and no committees were required, and the administrative machinery would be a minimum. In conclusion, Dr. Jamieson said that the profession was prepared to undertake work on this basis, provided that the existing legislation was amended to give effect to the proposals in lieu of the Government's scheme, and that the amending legislation, including regulations, was first submitted to the association and agreed upon.