Evening Post. FRIDAY, OCTOVER 3, 1941. A CONCILIATORY TONE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1941, Page 4

Evening Post. FRIDAY, OCTOVER 3, 1941. A CONCILIATORY TONE

We cannot agree with the Prime Minister's defence of the amended proposals for a medical scheme, but we can congratulate him upon the conciliatory tone of his speech and his endeavour to meet the objections of the medical profession. If there had been more of this attitude previously and less of the attempt to club the doctors into submission, a settlement would have been easier and it would also have been more complete. As it is, all objections to the Bill have not been removed, but they have been modified. In particular, the coercion element has ■been toned down. The Minister of Health may say that the talk of coercion is nonsense, but under the Bill originally introduced this session it was open and glaring. If a doctor would not practise under the Social Security scheme he could not earn a living as a general practitioner. That has been corrected up to the point of permitting practice away from the plan laid down, but with the inconsistency that a special charge can be made but is not recoverable at law. Moreover, what the Bill fixes as the standard fee is I so fixed without reference to the J doctors.

The doctors and those who have fought with them to save great principles from the juggernaut of a political majority have been able to remove some of the. worst blemishes from the scheme. It gives ground for satisfaction that there is in the community this regard for justice and real democracy which will express itself when a numerically strong majority attempts to ride roughshod over a minority. The protests cannot be dismissed as emanating from political partyism. Indeed, it is rather laughable to hear this allegation made by politicians who have always toed their own party chalkline and obediently yelled in the party chorus. Probably they cannot understand that others should act on independent regard for principles. But it is for principles that this fight has been made and, -we believe, not without good result. The medical plan as now embodied in the Bill- is better than that .originally proposed. It does leave the door open for continuance of private practice. Nevertheless, it is much inferior as a health-promoting measure to that which the doctors themselves proposed. The greatest gain from the fight that has been made lies, we believe, in the impression made on the public mind that in any future development of medical service the doctors should be fully consulted first and their guidance accepted. There should be no further attempt to make a political plan and then club the Ininority into accepting it on the ground that a promise has been made, to the public. No party has the right to promise away the liberty of minorities.