NATIONAL HEALTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 12

NATIONAL HEALTH

WELLINGTON MEETING MINISTER AND DOCTORS SYSTEMS OF REMUNERATION The discussions between" representatives of the medical profession and of the Government on aspects of the social security legislation will be resumed in Wellington to-day, when the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Frnser, will meet a sub-committee of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association. The conference has been arranged at the request of the Minister, and it is probable that it will also be attended by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, who is in charge of the financial administration of the scheme. The sub-committee which will interview the Ministers this morning has been specially appointed by the association for the purpose of conferring with the Government on national health insurance matters. It includes a representative of the Auckland branch, Dr. L. Ludbrook, who left for Wellington by the limited express last night accompanied by Dr. L. G. Drury, who is a member of the association's National Health Insurance Committee, which will later in the day receive a report of the conference. The conference is regarded as part of the effort being made by Mr. Frasor to expedite the preliminary work of organising the proposed health service. Special consideration is to be given to various general systems of remuneration, but the scope of the discussions cannot accurately be predicted by Auckland practitioners. "We have been invited to discuss certain aspects of the proposals with the Minister," Dr. Ludbrook said yesterday, "but until we get there we are not sure of the subjects to be considered." Although tho Prime Minister,' Mr. Savage, stated that he expected good progress would be made after discussions with the doctors, it is considered by some members of tho profession that to-day's meeting is not likely to reach fundamentals. One practitioner said it seemed that the Minister desired to talk over points of detail, a proposal which was rather beside the point when tho main principles wero still under discussion.