MEDICAL PRACTICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1946, Page 2

MEDICAL PRACTICE

INQUIRY BY COMMITTEE ONLY ’ REMUNERATION ISSUE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 30. A denial that it was intended to appoint a Royal Commission to consider the whole question of medical practice in New Zealand, as stated by a Dunedin surgeon, Mr. C. M. Greenslade, was given this evening by the Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer). He‘indicated, however, that a committee would be appointed to report on the • question of remuneration for medical services.

“If Mr. Greenslade’s remarks have been Correctly reported, his statement represents an unfortunate distortion of facts,” said Mr. Nordmeyer. “It has been suggested that a. committee representative of medical men and the Health Department should be set up for the purpose of assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the respective methods of payment under which medical service is rendered in the Dominion, and also to suggest any modification of such, or an improvement of them. Such an objective survey can do nothing but good, and it is likely that this committee will be appointed by an early date. It will later report to the Government' and the Government’s decision concerning legislation which it will be necessary to introduce concerning medical services will, naturally, be influenced by such report. There is no suggestion whatever of the setting up of a Royal Commission.” North Auckland Proposals. Referring to comment from Auckland and Wellington concerning the proposals submitted to the North Auckland Hospital Boards, involving medical practice, Mr. Nordmeyer stated that there had apparently been some misunderstanding of the position, due, no doubt, to the necessarily abbreviated report of proposals which appeared in the newspapers. WRile it was proposed that the specialists should be rewarded on a salary basis, a number of proposals were submitted for consideration concerning services rendered by general practitioners. These would be subjects of discussion between the Health Department and the doctors concerned, and, after the latter’s views had been obtained, more concrete proposals would be submitted for consideration.

“I do know,” added the Minister, “that some of the doctors in the area are anxious to come into a salaried scheme, particularly if provision is made for post-graduate study and for superannuation. It, however, is unlikely that all of the doctors in the area would wish to enter a salaried service.” Comment by B.M.A. Chairman. Dr. E. H. M. Luke, chairman of the Council of the New Zealand branch of the B.KF.A., said officers of the branch had no knowledge of the medical scheme which Mr. Nordmeyer has put before the North Auckland Hospital Boards. The Minister has envisaged an all-embracing State-salaried service to cover every branefi of medicine. Dr. Luke said: “This goes much further than the British Health Bill, and,-while we recognise that such l; highly-regimented service may be applicable to sections of the country, we view with apprehension the possibility of its wider extension.” He said there were many points on which his branch required information, but he associated himself with views of the Auckland B.M.A. in the matter of remuneration. These points, and others, would bo considered when the Council of the Association met in Wellington next week.