BILLS PASSED

Grey River Argus, 7 December 1940, Page 6

BILLS PASSED

MEDICAL SERVICE On Voluntary Basis [Per Press Association] PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, December 6. When the House resumed at 2.30 n.m„ to-day, Hon. D. G. McMillan (Minister of Marine), continued the discussion on the Finance Bill (iNO. 4) with regard to the provision for voluntary medical practitioner service by mutual agreement, between doctor and patient, the Government to make payment, in' accordance with the Social Security Act. He said this scheme would be just as success! u as the maternity benefits scheme The Leader of the Opposition had advocated free iout-patients’ treatment, but he would also remind the House that the Government, too, had advocated similar treatment. He would ’also like to point out that a big scheme like the present one could not all be put into effect in a day. Very shortly, the Leader of the Opposition would not have any complaint to make about free outpatients’ treatment, because people would be receiving attention given under this category by their own private doctors. Far from delaying the introduction of the scheme, the war was a reason why it should be expedited. The majority of the doctors would be only too glad to be relieved of the financial side of their profession, which would be effected under the Government’s scheme, and he did not think it would be long before 90 to 100 per cent, of the doctors would be attending patients under it. He gave a review of the steps taken by the Government to improve the national health. The Opposition Leader (Mr S. G. Holland) suggested that the Government should aim at giving all hospital treatment free. If the doctors ■remaining behind were allowed to build panels, they would have a choice of patients, and when those on service returned, they might find that no practice was left to them. The Government should consider holding the scheme over until after the war. He contended that tne clause was an attempt by the Government to split the B.M.A. The Government had decided not to make a contract with the Association, but with individual members. That was a thing they would not permit in the industrial world. The Minister of Finance had admitted it was not possible to compel doctors to give service, and at the same time for them to give their best service. He stressed the contention that some service should be provided, or some of the taxation remitted.

. Hon. H. T. Armstrong said the Leader of the Opposition had alleged the Government was trying to cause a split in the 8.M.A., but the Government had been working to prevent that very thing. They wanted the co-operation of the doctors, but the B.M.A. was the only powerful organisation that had given no sign whatever of co-operation. The Government was pledged to give a free national service to the people, whose sons and husbands had gone to the war. It was all right for the B.M.A. to say they had to keep faith with those of their number who had gone to the war, but the Government also had to keep faith with the people of New Zealand. There had been no war when the Act was passed in 1938,' but the doctors were just as bitterly opposed to the scheme then as they were now. They had never budged from their original conditions, but now they were saying that it was because of the war. He was not antagonistic to the members of the 8.M.A., because there were some very fine gentlemen in it, but the Government had done everything humanly possible to bring about a spirit of co-operation, even to the extent of saying that it would amend the law., to comply with something less than was in mind when the law was drafted. The Bill did not say exactly what was proposed, but regulations had been drafted, and they would give the B.M.A. a fair B°> as well as everyone else. “We cannot deal with the B.M.A. as an organisation,” he added, “but we are going to keep our pledge to the people, and the people are going to get the service. The medical profession as a whole will be materially better off. The Government would issue to every citizen a certificate, which would be available at Post Offices and Social Security Offices, and probably other places, and the individual had to find a doctor himself. If the doctor agreed to accept him, he signed the certificate, which was then sent to the Social Security Department. That gave the citizen, his wife, and family the right of free medical attention. On the other hand, the doctoi' would be free to refuse. He had the same right of choice as the patient. That would be done under the regulations. The Government had in mind what was a reasonable fee, which it was proposed to pay for every person for whom the doctor was responsible. In the Friendly Societies, it was only the head of the family who paid, but in this case it was not only for . tho head of the family, but for his wife and every child under 16 years. The Minister said that out-patients’ services and pharmaceutical benefits “would come into operation aimuitaneously with the medical benefits

Mr J. 'A. Lee expressed concern as to what would happen if the doctors refused co-operation. In the industrial field if the watersiders or tobacco factory employees refused cooperation; their union was deregistered. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health had frequently stated the Government would not permit obstruction to prevent the carrying out of the full provision of medical services. If that firm intention were behind the present Bill, it deserved hearty approval. Nothing short of the original Bill in its entirety was good enough for the people. If there were not a genuine effort to apply the full benefits, members would have to revise their present approval. Mr W. J. Polson (Nat., Stratford) said the Finance Bill as a whole would increase costs instead of reducing them at a time when it was vital to do so. Rev. A. H. Nordmeyer (Govt., Oamaru), said a suggestion had been made that the Government was not in earnest about the medical benefits, but he could assure the House and the country that the Govern-

ment and the Government Party were determined that the people of New Zealand should receive the benefits early in the New Year. After the Minister of Finance had briefly replied, the Bill’ was passed through the committee stages almost without discussion, and was given the third reading and passed.