"DOCTORS' BILL"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24733, 9 October 1941, Page 6

"DOCTORS' BILL"

UPPER HOUSE DEBATE PRINCIPLES CRITICISED GOVERNMENT DEFENCE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 8. When the Legislative Council met at 2.30 this afternoon to debate the second reading of the Social Security Amendment Bill, four other measures were received from the House of Representatives. These were the Coal Mines Amendment Bill and the Mining Amendment Bill, which were sent on to the Goldfields and Mines Committee, and the War Damages Bill and the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill, which were read a first time. The Leader of the Council, Mr D. Wilson, moving the second reading of the Social Security Amendment Bill, said the measure completed the Government's election pledges. The principles in the Bill had been approved by the electors in 1935. and.again .m, 1938-.. and the only reason why it appeared so late in Parliament's life was that the Government had endeavoured to get the approval of the medical profession.

Mr T. Brindle said that there was a stupid superstition about the ability of doctors. He asked why a doctor should be paid more than a man who helped to keep the community healthy by cleaning drains. Sanctity of Contracts

Mr W. Perry said that the most objectionable fangs' of the original measure had keen withdrawn, but. some remained, particularly the clause which barred the doctors from goir.-i to the courts to recover fees. His main objection to the measure was that it encouraged citizens to break contracts. A patient could promise a doctor a high fee and then refuse to pay. . State encouragement to break contracts ha*d existed before the present Government came into office, but he thought that once democracy embarked on a course of destroying the sanctity of contracts that democracy was on the road to decay. The totalitarian States were past masters at breaking contracts, but the democracies should not emulate them.

Mr J. Cotter said that it was impossible to break contracts under the Bill, because the contract was made .by the State and the State would pay the fees set ou+ in th* Bill.

Mr W. H. Mclntyre, who is a member of the Hospital Boards' Association, said a medical service had been asked for before Labour \ entered office, but he believed that no other Government would have provided the service. Mr J. E. Duncan said that the cal profession should combat disease, and it could never do that unless it organised. The Bill would help that organisation.

Mr M. Connelly also supported the measure.

The debate was adjourned 'at 5 o'clock.'

The debate was continued to-night.

Mr Cumming supported the measure and criticised those who had opposed it as having done so for political reasons and grounds. He expressed the opinion that the Bill did not go far enough. He said the people were entitled to all the medical services available. Benefit to Doctor* Claimed Mr T. Bloodworth said he was afraid that the Bill would not confer the benefits on patients that the Government hoped for, but it would benefit the doctors because it was an industrial award for them. He considered that the doctors should have the right to go to the courts because, without that right the doctor had to keep his part of the contract but could not hold the patient to it. He did not think, however, that the Bill would keep the doctors away from the court. They were entitled to go to the court under the Medical Practitioners' Act. which had not been repealed. Mr E. R. Davis said that there had been a great deal of unnecessary controversy about the matter. The Bill did not so far enough, because it did not deal with the prevention of disease. He advocated that there should be a surgical as well as a general practitioner service and the development of the science of dietetics with increased rest and recreation. Mr T. F. Doyle and Mr J. K. Archer also supported the Bill. After Mr Wilson had briefly replied, the Bill was read a second time.

The Agricultural Emergency Regulations Confirmation Bill, the Kitchener Memorial Scholarship Trust Bill, and the Auckland Community Welfare Centre and Auckland City Empowering Bill were received from the House of Representatives and read a first time, while the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, whch was also received from Vie House, was read, a second time pro forma, and referred to the Lands Committee. The Council rose at 10.55. DOCTORS' ASSISTANTS NO STATE INTERFERENCE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 8. The Government has no intention whatever of interfering with the arrangement under which a doctor may employ an assistant doctor. This statement was made by the Minister of Health. Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, replying through the Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser, in the House of Representatives to-day, to an urgent question by Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo). Mr Broadfoot asked whether it was the .Government's intention .to see that every doctor contracted separately with panel patients under the Social Security scheme, so that no doctors might be allowed a monopoly or to exploit the services of other doctors by employing them on a salary basis. Replying, the Minister said that the Medical Benefits Regulations governing the capitation system made special provision for deputies, assistants and partners in relation to the services of general practitioners. It was quite competent for a practitioner to employ a qualified assistant, and for that assistant to attend to his patients under the capitation scheme, unless a patient insisted on the personal attention of the practitioner himself. It was a wellknown and long-established custom for busv practitioners to engage an assistant to heln them in their practice. The terms of employment were a matter of urivate arrangement between the principal and his assistant, and there could be no question of a monopoly or exploitation. The Government had no intention whatever of interfering with that arrangement. PROTEST BY FARMERS' UNION LEGISLATION DEEMED UNTIMELY " It is a terrible thing that we have a Government that brings forward a Bill at this time embodying clauses depriving a certain section of the community of their freedom and rights," said Mr A. C. Leary at a meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the New Zealand Farmers* Union yesterday morning, when the resolutions carried at the recent massed meeting in Dunedin .protesting against the Social Security Amendments Bill were unanimously endorsed. The action of the president (Mr D. H. Cockburn) in sending a message to the meeting supporting its protests was also approved.: " The Bill could have been left until after the war." Mr Leary said. "It should not have oeen brought in now when our men are fighting, and ready to sacrifice their lives for that freedom of which the Government is at present deoriving a section of the community." The chairman (Mr W. Lee) said that the doctors should have been given the right to practice outside the Bill. It was wrong that men at the top of the nrofession should be brought down to the level of the newly-qualified doctor, j

" If doctors had been given the. right to practice outside the Act".Mr A.-.C. Cameron said, "there probably would not have been any Opposition to the Bill. There will be no incentive to young men to specialise;- and it will drive them out of the country. ■, "One of the most important aspects of the Bill." Mr Cameron added. "V** the notice taken b" the Government of the protest meetings.. The Government would not go ; against public opinion, and.brought forward amendments that have removed: many of.tht obnoxious clauses, from the -Bill." 1 • - The resolutions -carried at the protest meeting were then unanimously endorsed.