EFFECT OF AMENDMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 24006, 3 October 1941, Page 3

EFFECT OF AMENDMENTS

The promised amendments were introduced by Governor’s Message in the afternoon, the Minister stating that they were the alterations he had previously announced, with an addition which placed beyond all possible doubt the fact that a doctor may continue to serve the friendly societies as in the past. He understood that there had been doubt expressed on this point, though it was covered in the original amendments. Mr Holland (Leader of the Opposition) : Is there anything about remitting the fees to friendly societies? The Minister: That was in the original measure, and the offer to the friendly societies still stands. The amendments, which the Minister proposes to insert during the committee stage of the Bill, will provide that the general practitioner service shall commence on November. 1 next. To meet the special position of friendly societies having contracts with doctors, a new clause specifies the general practitioner services as not including the following:— “ Medical services provided by any medical practitioner under an agreement made by him with a friendly society or branch registered under the Friendly Societies Act.”

The scheduled fees have been increased from 5s to 7s 6d for consultations at a surgery and visits to a patient, together with mileage fees in the latter case.

A new clause makes clear the procedure under which fees are to bo recovered. A medical practitioner may, instead of claiming from the social security fund recover his fees from the patient, who will then be entitled to receive a refund of the amount so paid, provided it does not exceed the schedule rates prescribed in the Bill. It shall be the duty of the medical practitioner to supply the patient with such receipts, certificates, or other documents he may need in order to support his claim for refund of foes from the Social Security Fund. Recovery of fees is dealt with in a new clause, which states “ Except as otherwise expressly provided, in this Act or any regulations niadq, under the principal Act. no medical practitioner shall be entitled to recover any fees or other moneys in respect of any general medical services or pharmaceutical requirements provided or supplied by him after the commencement of this act,” The scope of the new clause, however, is limited by the amendment already quoted, which empowers a doctor to recover the fees specified in the Bill or regulations as an alternative to claiming direct from the Social Security Fund;