MEDICAL MAN'S FEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18170, 16 August 1922, Page 6

MEDICAL MAN'S FEES.

SLIDING SCALE SYSTEM. RICH PAY FOR THE POOR. './.; "It seems to be the practice, to a man's obligation to pay medical f«esf| not so much by his actual monetary resources as by. the social. position be adopts. . . . Perhaps this method is off ; the whole a just one," said Mr; .Justice, MeCardie, in giving judgment in tbk case;:;■ in which Dr. Anghel. Gaster', cf Bevoh- ; shire Place, Cavendish Square, sued Mr; Leopold Hirsch, of Kensington Palacer , Gardens, for £13X Ss professional fees , for .attendance on Sir. Hirsch anid his ; son. The dispute was chiefly as to whether ;V Dr. Gaster should charge one guinea «&g§f two guineas for each of 52 visits, and 15 guineas or five guineas for attending an. operation for appendicitis . on Mr. Hirsch's son—for which . the operating; surgeon received 150.guineas., ' ' ' ;! Tho defence was," first,"that Dr. Gaster said his fee would be two guineas for the :: first visit and one guinea for each s u °«v; ,: quent visit; a«!d, secondly, that toe! J charges were ; unreasonable. Dr. Gaster denied both contentions. ' In awarding Dr. Gaster 93 guineas : and costs, Mr. Justice McCardie said that Mr. Hirsch had fought the case as one of principle. He was .ft : rich man and his defence represented •■ nrotest iby business wealth against the theory that a rich man should pay un- : usual fees. .; Dr. Gaster's contention was, in substunce, that a doctor's fees might and should vary with the financial statusja ; ; tbs patient. The rich, it was forcibly ; said, should properly pay more than." - normal fee because of the fact that the K poorer pay less and the very poor not infrequently pay nothing at- all. There was nothing in the medical pro- ;■;■-. fession equivalent to the scale of fWI among architects, solicitors, and. other ■ professional bodies. Medical fees varied " greatly and depended on locality, thestatus of the patient, and the professional position or popularity of the medical man. .;: A vast amount of work had been done by the medical profession, not only .without reward but also with generous seljsacrifice. That must not be overlooked. The high cost of living imposed upon one : who practised in a fashionable district ; was also to bo considered, while the long and costly education of a medical man was a factor to weijjh. : '• His Lordship regarded Dr. Gaster s fee ,r of 15 guineas for attending the operation ae excessive and also the charge of eight guineas for four attendances on the day of the operation. On the other hand, Jie thought the fee of three guineas for each of two consultations was not excessive.