BOARD ALLOWS APPEAL

Southland Times, Issue 24605, 29 November 1941, Page 8

BOARD ALLOWS APPEAL

INVERCARGILL DOCTOR MEDICAL BENEFITS SCHEME The appeal against military service on behalf of Dr A. E. McMillan, of Invercargill, was completed before the No. 6 Armed Forces Appeal Board yesterday and was adjourned sine die by the board. In giving the decision of the board the chairman (Mr J. K. Bartholomew, S.M.) said that Dr McMillan was the only local medical practitioner giving service under that part of the scheme for national medical service by which payment was made on a per capita basis per annum. “A very large number of people desire to avail themselves of this type of medical service, as is recorded by the evidence of the objectors,” said Mr Bartholomew. ‘‘The appeals on the ground of public interest have been substantiated and an order is accordingly made for adjournment sine die.” When the hearing was continued from the previous day Mr G. J. Reed, representing the appellants, read the following telegram sent on Thursday to the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nbrdmeyer): “Are those people who signed up under the original capitation scheme whereby a doctor undertakes to attend professionally to a man or his wife'and family at the rate of 15/- a year eligible under the new agreement, made between the doctors and the Government?” Mi- Reed then read the following reply:

MINISTERS REPLY “Persons on the list of a doctor operating under the capitation scheme are not eligible for benefits under the recent general medical services scheme, except in cases of emergency. They may give due notice to the capitation doctor, at the expiration of which they are eligible for the benefits of the new scheme. I understand other doctors in Invercargill are still charging their normal fee of 12/6, leaving the patient to find 5/- a consultation above the amount allowed under the fee for service scheme.” Mr Reed also put in newspaper re- | ports on the working of the general practitioner scheme and one of the recent meetings of lodge members in Invercargill held to discuss the scheme’s effects on lodges. Mr A. N. Haggitt (appearing for the Crown) said that the local B.M.A. executive particularly did not wish to adopt any attitude which might prejudice, or be thought to prejudice, the appeal, or indicate any partisan spirit whatever. Members of the B.M.A. were, therefore, not appearing as witnesses. He informed the local president that he was entitled to give evidence, continued Mr Haggitt, and he also told him that - the board was entitled to the fullest in- ; formation and that some statement j should be made.

POSITION IN INVERCARGILL The president had given him a statement in writing, added Mr Haggitt, who then read the following statement made by Dr Stanley Brown. “The "position in Invercargill as regards the Social Security Amendment Bill is that the general practitioners are working according to the provisions of the Bill. They are charging the usual fees of 10/6 for consultations and 12/6 for visits and issuing receipts which are subject to a rebate of 1/6 from the Social Security Fund. In some cases claims for 7/6 are being made direct to the Health Department. “Of the general practitioners in the city only one is at present on active service, while two others have done periods in military camps and are expecting to do a further period in the near future. One other is the onlypractising physician in the district and has been exempted; seven saw service in the last war and are over age. All men, from time to time, are giving service on medical boards and some on Air Force boards, but are quite capab’e of meeting the demands of general practice in the city.” MR HAGGITT'S SUBMISSIONS “We should all keep a proper sense of proportion in this case,” said Mr Haggitt. “Dr McMillan is a young man and he has been in Invercargill for only a short period after only four months in a hospital. Evidence has been given that the Army- requires his services. There is no reason to doubt that his 4000 patients received proper medical attention before he came to Invercargill, and there is no reason to suppose that they will not receive proper medical attention again if Dr McMillan is away. No necessitous cases have been refused proper medical attention in the past and there is no reason to suppose that, the position will be in any way different in the future.” Dr McMillan had, very properly he thought, withdrawn his own appeal and the present appeals were from the secretaries of unions purporting to represent their members. His main feeling was that the matter had grown out of , all proportion. I