MEDICAL SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1940, Page 2

MEDICAL SERVICE

SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME B.M.A. ATTITUDE OUTLINED [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] NELSON, December 3. The attitude of the medical profession towards the proposed introduction, in January, of the general practitioner service under the Social Security Act, was expressed to-day by Dr. J. P. S. Jamieson, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Committee of the British Medical Association. “At the present time, the less said about a free universal general practitioner service the better,” said Dr. Jamieson. “Having brought the greater part of the Social Security Act into operation with a minimum of delay, the Government should not be criticised for its caution in introducing this portion of the provisions of the Act. This is especially so, as it would appear that the full amount at least of the tax collected is already being paid out. Neither should the profession be blamed for its hesitancy in committing itself to a system which, overnight, would profoundly alter the system of the practice of medicine, without time for natural development and adjustments, and in a period when the future is so uncertain. “It must be obvious to everyone that the present moment, in the midst of the conflict for the survival of the Empire, is altogether inopportune for proceeding with such a matter of domestic concern. It is more inopportune, since so great a proportion of the medical profession, amounting to fully 25 per cent., is absorbed already in military service, while more will be called upon. Moreover, nothing could be more inopportune for the Department, than to be faced with the laying down and administration of a new system, while engaged with the ever-increas-ing burden of work which the war involves.

“The Association agrees absolutely with what has already been said by the Prime Minister, that the one thing that matters; indeed, the only thing that really fundamentally matters for -New Zealand at present, is our national war effort. For that reason, members have placed their services to an unexampled extent at the disposal of the National Medical Committee, for military service in any capacity for which they may be suitable, having regard to civil _ requirements, as a body and individually. We have made many arrangements to liberate suitable men for military service, and to maintain the civilian service. “We have urged, therefore, that further consideration of this matter should be deferred until the conclusion of the war, and demobilisation. The profession continues to exercise its long-accorded privilege of working as long and as hard as ever it can, without anybody minding, and feels that it may rely on the good sense of the people, not to embarrass the Government or to harass the profession by a demand for a kind of change which is impracticable.”