NEXT STEPS AWAITED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 May 1939, Page 10

NEXT STEPS AWAITED

NO CHANGE IN POSITION Though in accordance with the statement by the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, this week, the maternity benetits under the Social Security Act are to come into force on Monday, there

is as yet no clear indication of the extent to which the service will then be available. The next development, which should help to clarify the position, is the release of the lists of persons and institutions that have entered into contracts to serve under the Act. This the Minister has promised at an early date. The Minister in his statement said that arrangements for the completion of contracts with licensees of private hospitals, medical /ractitioners, and obstetric nurses had progressed sufficiently for him to determine the date on which the benefits would become available. At the moment the Minister alone seems to have this information, and no indication could be obtained yesterday of the number of hospitals, doctors and nurses who had signed contracts or were prepared to do so.

ATTITUDE OF B.M.A. UNCHANGED A spokesman for the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association indicated that the association had no information of the number of medical men who may have entered into contracts with the State. The attitude of the association remains unchanged, and. no further move in consideration of questions at issue between the association and the Government is expected till the lists are made available and the department’s next steps are

It is quite clear that there has been on change in the Government’s attitude to the maternity benefit system. The association held that it would be best to provide the benefit by means of a cash payment to the mothei', but this proposal d d not find favour with the Government.

In his latest statement on the posiItion, Dr. J. P. S. Jamieson, chairman of the health insurance committee of the New Zealand branch of the assoi ciation, said the Government’s service ! would be “free." but only to a limited ! extent. j THINGS NOT PROVIDED FOR 1 “A perusal of the conditions of con-

tract and regulations.” said Dr. Jamieson, “shows, among other things, that should a mother desire the privacy of a private maternity hospital she will pay additional —or be subject to ‘discrimination’ in accommodation. Should she prefer to be attended by the family doctor who knows her medical history, she cannot have the service ‘free’ unless he has become a ‘social security practitioner.’ Excepting within a certain radius she canont have the ‘social security doctor of her choice without extra cost.

“Should her condition require the assistance of a second medical man. she will have to meet the cost. Should she wish during pregnane}' of modern pain relieving methods, or should she suffer from any of the many conditions which make child-bearing extra hazardous, she will have to rely on the goodwill of her doctor unrequited a l '"- the statutory remuneration.”

Mr Frazer has emphasised that services under the Act can be made the subject of benefits only where the person or institution concerned has entered into a contract.

DUTY OF THE PATIENT "When lists have been made available patients desirous of taking advantage of the various benefits must, of course, select from the relative list, in addition to the doctor, the private hospital or obstetric nurse from when 11' • desire to receive the services,” the Minister said. “Services in relation to maternity in any licensed private hospital or at the hands of any medical practitioner, midwife, or maternity nurse, can be made the subject of benefits only of course where the licensee, practitioner or nurse concerned has completed a contract.”

One possible complication in the inauguration of the scheme is that prospective mothers who ai*e already under a doctor’s care, and who desire free medical attention, may be faced with the prospect of transferring to another practitioner if their own doctor does not contract to serve under the scheme.

Inquiries in Wellington yesterday indicated that there has been no organised meetings yet of licensees of maternity homes and obstetric nurses to consider the forms of contract submitted by the Government, as has been the case in Canterbury.