THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, August 29, 1941. THE MEDICAL SCHEME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24698, 29 August 1941, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, August 29, 1941. THE MEDICAL SCHEME

It would be a mistake to suppose that the medical profession as a whole has withdrawn any of its original objections to the Government’s plan for a universal free practitioner service. These were reasoned objections, based on expert medical ppinioh that the service that was proposed would not be in the best interests either of the public or pf standards of medical practice, and i they remain wholly valid. The pro- ! fession, in short, views the Government’s scheme with as much disfavour how as it did in the past. Nevertheless, as was emphasised by Sir Donald McGavin during Wednesday’s discussions between representatives of the B.M.A. on the one hand and the Acting Prime Minister and the Minister of Health on the cither hand, the profession, is as anxious as it has always beek for a compromise on a basis that would satisfy both parties. It is possible that some such compromise may emerge .from the present deliberations, although the Government has itself at pains to emphasise that it is no part of its intention, in the Bill which is to come before Parliament next week, to sacrifice principle for the sake of extending accommodation to the professional viewpoint. Even , while Mr Nash was stressing the desirability of free co-operation between the Government and the doctors, and even while he was doubting the practicability of the idea of coercion, he showed plainly that that idea was being kept in mind. If the Government, is genuinely anxious to meet the profession’s objections .to, the schemle in its present form it would be well advised to abandon once and for all the thought that its ends might be, attained by an attempt to force practitioners into the acceptance of contracts. They cannot and will not be so compelled. Throughout the country doctors are in present circumstances being worked to capacity. Many of; them, indeed, are undergoing strain through .overwork which might be expected to affect their own health. The Government should be prepared to recognise that fact, and to accept as ; reasonable the argument put for? \vard by the B.M.A. that the introduction of any scheme would be better postponed until such time as the 200 medical men now serving overseas and the many more engaged in military duties in the Dominion could take a proper part in deciding their own future. But the Governmept is not disposed to be tolerant of that view. It professes to want co-operation from doctors as a body, while at the same time insisting that, such co-operation shall be given in the Government’s own time apd within th’e framework of its own proposals. How this attitude is to be reconciled with Mr Nash’s observation that provided the fundamental principle of free and universal service is • accepted the Government will “ pretty well agree to anything ’’ to achieve co-operation is not clear. If its readiness to “ agree ” does not cover recognition of the need for such modifications of the scheme as are deemed necessary by the profession, it is not likely that discussion of w a y s an( l means of payment will bring the parties much, nearer to common ground. The Government professes to believe that the whole country is “ clamouring ’’ against the “ defiance ” shown by the doctors. The . idea is one which, for political reasons, it would obviously like to foster. But how does the position resolve itself? Certain, members of the Government, who may" be credited with holding sincere views, originate a scheme of free medical service which, without considering it advisable to defer to, or even consult, the opinion of the professional body most directly concerned, they put into legislative form. There is no defiance on their part! There is, presumably, defiance only on the part of the profession itself, composed of equally sincere men, whose offence is that, having judged the Government’s scheme imperfect at the outset, they persist in adhering to that view. The Government thought its original provision ,for a maternity service incapable of improvement, but found ultimately that modification was the price of the profession’s co-operation in working it. If it would bring an equally liberal thought to bear on professional criticism of its general practitioner proposals it would quickly find the approach to agreement made immeasurably smoother.