BRITISH DOCTORS

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1943, Page 4

BRITISH DOCTORS

OPPOSITION TO STATE EMPLOYMENT. SCHEME DISCUSSED INSECRET. (Rec. 8.0) LONDON, May 11.The Health Ministry has made , a confidential suggestion to influential doctors throughout the country that doctors after the war should become Sate employees on a fixed salary scale. Doctors considered the suggestion in secret and rejected it. Reporting this, the “Daily Express” says that doctors want a Royal Commission to publicly examine the whole question of public medicine. They feel that the present secrecy in discussions between the profession and the Ministry is undesirable. The -Ministry has suggested a system of health centres, controlled by local authorities, in which people would choose their own doctor from those available. It is suggested that the salarj' scale should be. of £4OO for a centre assistant who has finished training, £650 after three years, .and an increase of a few pounds annually thereafter. . Doctors say the scheme is insufficiently comprehensive, and would make them servants of local authorities rather than friends .and physicians of their patients. They ■ also argue that salaries reward grey hairs rather than ability. ' Doctors want the Beveridge report endorsed before thej' are singled out for control. Tlwy are prepared to see the end of private practices and huge fees for star surgeons, but they want a system of groups of doctors under the control of their own profession, not under the control of local authorities.