DOCTOR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 24007, 4 October 1941, Page 6

DOCTOR SERVICE

EILL PASSES LOWER HOUSE PREMIER WILLING TO DISCUSS BETTER FRAMING OF LAW (Special.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. Ounng the stages preceding tiie passing ot rue Social security Amendment Bui by the House the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer said the list of free medicines was being revised and certain liver preparations and drugs of the sulphanilamide group would be made available. The matter of other additions would be looked into in due course. Replying to a question, Mr Nordmeyer said tho Government intended to pay for Sunday work at the sainq rates as for night work. This would be done by regulation. “Regulations are being drafted to deal with the patient who is taking advantage of the- fact that there is a free scheme and going to the doctor unnecessarily,” added the Minister. He said that if a case could be proved against such a person he might be required to pay the whole of the doctor’s fee himself. Air Fraser gave an undertaking that the Government would go into the question of allowing doctors access to the courts for recovery of their fees over and above what was allowed in the Bill. He suggested that the two new clauses of the Bill should be passed, and undertook to see if a suitable amendment could be brought down in the Legislative Council. In any case, he would be quite prepared to discuss other ways with the doctors, and would welcome proposals from them for a better framing of the law. The major announcements made by the Minister during the final stages of the debate were:— 1. The drafting of regulations to penalise patients who consulted their doctors unnecessarily. 2. The revision of the free pharmacy list to include tho sulphanilamide group and liver preparations. 3. Consideration of the granting to the doctors the right to go to the courts to recover fees. 4. Future consideration of tho abolition of the limit of 20 miles for attendance by doctors without a mileage charge to patients. 5. Regulations to be issued providing for the payment to doctors of night rates for Sunday work. CHRISTCHURCH RESOLUTION (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 3. A public meeting of protest against the Social Security Amendment Bill, which was held in the Civic Theatre this evening, attracted an audience of about 700, which; little more than half-filled the theatre. The principal speaker was Sir James Elliott, of Wellington. He was given a mixed reception, but the greater number of the audience appeared to support him. Three resolutions, moved by the president of; the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (Air W. S. Mac Gibbon), were carried. These asked the Government to give favourable consideration to the points of difference outstanding between itself and tho 8.M.A., to set up a committee of qualified persons to investigate the health services of the country and make recommendations for their improvement- on which future legislation could be based, and expressed regret that the Bill had been passed without giving an opportunity,)to the medical men on active service to express their views. L.R.C. RESOLUTION At the last meeting of the Otago Labour Representation Committee the following resolution was carried unanimously : “ That this meeting of delegates to the Otago Labour Representation Committee, representing some 20,000 electors, congratulates tho Government on its action in taking steps to give to the public the benefits of a universal medical service, find deprecates the attempts of certain sections of the community who are attempting to make political capital of the health and welfare of the community.”