MATERNITY BENEFITS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4814, 24 July 1939, Page 5

MATERNITY BENEFITS

MEETING IN TE KUITI.

TWO POINTS OF VIEW.

MOTION DESIRING REVISION CARRIED.

There were two sections of opinion at the meeting of women held in the Combined Societies’ Hall on Friday afternoon to consider the conditions under which the maternity benefits of the Social Security Act have come into force.

After an address by Mrs. Irvine, of Otorohanga, who, whilst supporting the principle of the Act, enumerated points which she considered required alteration, and after the general discussion which followed, a motion was proposed by Mrs. W. A. Lee that the large and representative meeting of women, whilst applauding the principle of the maternity provisions included in the Social Security. Ac f , took exception to four clauses which it considered constituted a violation of woman’s freedom, privilege, and confidences, and urged that this disapproval be placed before the Minister by a committee of responsible persons.

To this an amendment was proposed by Mrs. F. J. Patten, who in doing so claimed that the meeting could not be considered either a large or representative one. Her amendment congratulated the Goverment on its writing the Social Security Act into the Statute Book, and expressed the hope that the British Medical Association would fall into line as soon as possible to enable the people who were paying the taxation to secure the benefits; and that the meeting was in the knowledge that the Government would in its own good time rectify any defects which might appear in the Act. The vote taken resulted in just on two-thirds of the people in the hall favouring Mrs.-Lee’s motion, just over one-third the amendment. Mrs. Lee’s motion, therefore, was declared carried.

About ninety women were present at the meeting, over which, Mrs. H. T. Morton (Mayoress), presided.

Mrs. Irvine’s Address.

Mrs. Irvine in the course of her address, stressed that she personally welcomed the maternity provisions cf the Social Security Act, because she saw in it real benefits and a recognition of the service of women in bringing new citizens into the world; but she felt that certain clauses detrimental to the interests of women should be amended. Her first criticism was that the Bill curtailed woman’s liberty—she was not permitted to choose her own doctor. As the benefits would be called upon when a woman was likely to be a creature of moods and fancies, it was most desirable that she should have the confidence that would follow from her own choice of doctor attending her. Certainly a woman could call in her own doctor, but she would have fo pay for him—she would be charged twice for the same service. In the event of the social

security doctor refusing to take her case, as he had the power to do, she - would be passed on to a committee, which would nominate the doctor the least inconvenienced by taking the case! Would this conduce towards the bringing of healthy and robust childen into the world? Mrs. Irvine held the benefit should

.paid directly to the expectant mother, or to the doctor of the woman’s choice. The second point that she had to

mahe had been conceded by the Minister. In the daily papers on the day of 1 .the meeting there was an announcement that the Minister had agreed to the deleting of the requirement that, except in an emergency, the mother should refrain from summoning medical men during the night hours or on holidays. Mrs. Irvine held that woman should be very grateful to the Minister for his granting this point for which she had been pressing.

Privacy Invaded.

A protest against the provision in the Act which provided that all case histories must be open for Government inspection was the third point made by the speaker—and it was a point which she considered in a very serious light. The confidence between doctor and patient was sacred —each doctor before practising took a vow to secrecy in this regard, and this vow was recognised in the courts, where a doctor could not be called upon to give a patient’s clinical history. The invasion into this private field by Government inspectors might result in a woman withholding just that point which a doctor would require for a diagnosis. Under the system proposed there would be no incentive whatsover for

a doctor to specialise, so that the standard of medical practice in the Dominion must deteriorate. Young doctors who studied in England and the Continent would scarcely be likely to come back to the restrictions found in New Zealand, where the people would find themselves left with old doctors and old methods.

During the discussion on the legislation Mr. Fraser had said that anomalies would be found in the Act and would be required to be rectified from time to time. That was what she was asking him to do, and already he had conceded one of the points made. She urged that all present reason out for themselves the points she had raised, and then act according to their decisions. Doctor’s Opinion Read.

On questions being invited, Mrs. N. Wilson asked and received permission to read a letter from a doctor which answered several points made by the speaker. This letter held that it was only, the attitude of the British Medical Association that prevented women having their own choice of doctor; that the restrictions in calls upon the doctor’s time were not mandatory, and were inserted only to ensure that patients would be reasonable, in their demands; that it would be the medical officer of health, and not a Government inspector, who would have access to patients’ clinical records, and this would only be necessary to safeguard the patient against unskilled attention or insufficient care.

Mrs. Irvine said that in reply to the suggestion that the mothers would have freedom of choice in the selection of their doctors, she could quote the functioning of the Act in Te Awamutu. There two doctors had signed under the Social Security Act, and an announcement had appeared in the Te Awamutu paper about the beginning of July defining the separate areas for which these two doctors would cater.

Several speakers hastened to inform Mrs. Irvine that it was only the medical officer of health who would have access to a patient’s clinical records, and that he would only peruse them to protect the patient’s interests. Mrs. Irvine said she recognised this point, and pointed out one way of overcoming it would be for the medical officer of health alone to have access to the records, and then only after any complaints in regard to treatment had been made. However, in its present form the Act read that a patient’s clinical records must be open for Government inspection. This would mean that the confidences between doctor and patient, whose secrecy was recognised by law, would be broken down.

A host of objections were received that records made on entering hospitals were not fully secret now—Mrs. Irvine said that these were general records, not the more intimate clinical records which were kept by doctors.

An ex-nurse said that she could speak to some extent of the need for vows to secrecy of medical men, and agreed that those vows should be upheld. The motion and amendment were at this stage moved and came up for discussion. Mrs. C. K. Wilson said that the amendment was so much wider in scope than the resolution that a discussion upon it was necessary.

Mrs. Irvine reiterated that she personally considered that something of the nature of the maternity benefits under the Social Security Act should have been instituted many years ago, but she felt that women were entitled not only to receive the benefits, but receive them in the best possible way. Perhaps all those present did not realise that to gain the opinion of public meetings on the points raised was, apart from deputations, the only constitutional way of bringing them to the notice of the Government.

Social Security and Doctors.

Mrs. C. K. Wilson pointed out that the amendment hoped that the medical profession would soon fall in line with the Social Security Act. Was it fair to expect them to do this, knowing nothing of the amounts they would be paid, or the conditions of the contracts they would be called upon to sign. Social security, she held, had come to stay, but she pointed out that the providing of the general practitioner service was only half the battle. When the scheme was working a specialist service would be necessary to provide for requirements. A point made by Mrs. Kennedy in a question was that country women might be penalised, in that only 14 days in hospital was provided for in the benefits. Owing to transport difficulties a country mother might have to come into hospital some time before her baby was born.

The motion and amendment were then put to the meeting, with the results mentioned above. The meeting then concluded with votes of "thanks to Mrs. Irvine and to the chairwomen, Mrs. Morton.