MEDICAL SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 60, 8 September 1941, Page 8

MEDICAL SERVICES

NO COMMENT FROM

MINISTER

CONSIDERATION OF CLAUSES

The Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer) was asked today to comment on the doctors' criticisms of the Social Security Act amendments which are now before Parliament. He stated that at the present stage he preferred to remain silent.

During the present week the amendments will be considered by the Public Health.Committee of the House, and it. is expected that representatives of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association will submit evidence. When'the representatives of this organisation attended at the invitation of the Government to discuss the proposals with the Acting Prime Minister and. Minister of Health, it was made plain officially that the Government was quite prepared to substitute for- the contract system any alternative which .the doctors could suggest, so long as it would provide the general practitioner service at which the Social "Security scheme is aiming. There was an inference from Ministers' statements that the alternatives would be regarded as practicable financially if the gross expenditure did not exceed 15s per head of the whole population of the area subject to any special arrangement. , There is a possibility of a clinic scheme being suggested, under which all ,the doctors of a given area combine their resources, centring calls on a clinic, .where arrangements would be made among the Associated medical men to maintain a continuous general practitioner service5, and also provide specialist treatment.

The amending,- measure now ■ under consideration does not specifically mention alternatives tp the fee-for-service system, but it contains an important "blanket" clause which would ' cover any practicable alternative presenting itself. Previous legislation had contemplated the necessity of making special arrangements for* persons living in isolated places, and this has been further altered to give very wide authority to the Minister of Health. The clause as it now stands is likely to come into great prominence during discussions on the legislation. It reads as follows:

"Notwithstanding anything to the: contrary in this part of the Act, the Minister may make such special arrangements ( as in the circumstances he deems advisable for the purpose of .providing that. adequate services in lieu of all,or any of the benefits provided for in this Act will. be made available for the benefit of any persons or classes of persons." .