HOSPITAL SYSTEM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19133, 30 September 1936, Page 14

HOSPITAL SYSTEM

TRENDS OVERSEAS INSURANCE ESSENTIAL SIR, J. BARRETT'S VIEWS Important recent developments overseas in public health and hospital administration were discussed in Auckland by Sir James Barrett, the noted Melbourne eve and ear specialist, who was returning to Australia by the Aorangi after retiring from the position of president of the British .Medical Association at the lC4th annual meeting in England. Tne outstanding movement in the hospital sphere, said Sir James, was the development in America of a system similar to that adopted by the Victorian Bush Nursing Association, of which he was hoiiorarv secretary. The fundamental fact had been recognised that some form of hospital insurance was essential, since the average man could not pay full hoso.tai and medical fees. It had been realised that this applied to the middle classes as well as poorer people whose hospital fees would be dealt with by charitable organisations.

NOT CONNECTED WITH CHARITY

The svstem developed was not connected with eharitv. People paid an annual sum, 36s or more, and in return were guaranteed hospital service if necessary for a specified period during the year and made their own arrangements for the attendance of their own medical practitioner. The scheme had grown to such proportions that 270.000 beds were maintained in this way in America. bk James was very unblessed by the way in winch tne introduction of a iiealtn insurance system was being tackled in rmtish Uoiumma, and considered the liietnods being adopted could be watched with advantage by other countries conteniplat.ng sucn a step. The medical proleasiuu was urging that the scheme should be non-political and that there should be no cash payments to the sick person. He should be provided with proper metrical attention, uut ins tacit of employ-ment-snouid be dealt with under a separate unemployment scheme, and certmcation'lor tms snouid be by a medical officer not m practice, on whom pressure could not be Drought to bear. Tne most objectionable part of the system in other countries had been found to be that cash payments were, inane to a patient on the certificate of a medical practitioner. - FEELING IN BRITAIN Commenting on British hospitals, Sir James said tnere was a growing feeling Uiat the system must be modined. it was-generally held that the general practitioner, who was the backbone of the profession, must be associated in some way with hospitals, so that when his case went" into one he did not lose sight of ii altogether.' It had become plain that the two greatest systems, the voluntary hospitals, which had been the glory of English, medicine, in which the staffs were honorary, and the hospitals mamtameu by county councils with paid staffs, could not .run alongside each other indefinitely without modification.