MEDICAL SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1940, Page 4

MEDICAL SERVICE

SOCIAL SECURITY ACT BILL BEFORE PARLIAMENT (Per Press Association—Copyright) WELLINGTON, December 3. The provision of the General Practitioner Service, on the basis of a mutual arrangement between the medical practitioners and patients, is made by an amendment to the Social Security Act, contained in the Finance Bill (No. 4), which was introduced and read the first time in the House, to-night. the benefits under this amendment are to include: “All proper and necessary services of medical practitioners, except such services as may, in accordance with' the Regulations, be excluded therefrom, either absolutely, or in special circumstances, to be defined in the regulations.” A medical practitioner qualified to provide this service, and any person entitled- to claim medical benefits for himself, or for any member of his family,, may mutually agree, in a prescribed form and manner, for the provision of service. Medical practitioners undertaking the service will be entitled to a prescribed capitation fee for each person, but no other payment, with the exception of mileage fees, to be computed in accordance with the regulations.

Practitioners who undertake to provide this service shall be deemed to have entered into a contract of service, which may be terminated by the Minister on the recommendation of a special tribunal, and not otherwise. Hon. W. Nash, in introducing the Bill, replying to a question by Mr S. G. .Holland, (Opposition Leader), said the Bill did not- include provision for hospital outpatients, but the matter of their inclusion was at present under consideration. -

B.M.A. CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT 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 everincreasing 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, ha\ ing 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.”