MEDICAL SERVICE

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1940, Page 2

MEDICAL SERVICE

Voluntary Contracts GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSAL. [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, December 5. The completeiy-voluntary nature of the provisions for the contracts between patients and doctors under th e Social Security Act was stressed in the House to-day by the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, in moving th© second reading of the Finance Bill (No. 4), which contains ‘ ’an amendment to the Social Security Act. If a doctor who was approached by a patient refused to agree to a contract, Mr Nash said, nothing could be done about it. The purpose of tne amendment to the Bill, said Mr Nash, was to allow any person to contract with any doctor to attend himself and his family, and the State would pay the doctor the fees incurred It meant that the individual could go to his doctor and say he wanted to come under the provisions of the SociaJ Security Act. Mr J. A. Lee: If the doctor says no! Mr Nash: Then nothing can be done about it. He has got to find a doctor who agrees. Mr Nash continued that there was also a provision whereby contracts could be made between, groups of individuals and a doctor. After Mr Nash had given a brief outline 'of other provisions in the Bill, the debate was adjourned until to-morrow morning.