EPIDEMIC ACCOUNTS.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 1, 12 April 1919, Page 3

EPIDEMIC ACCOUNTS.

REASONS FOR DELAY.

FEES TO DOCTORS

With reference to the complaint from Christchurch, but a complaint that ia not peculiar to Christchurch, regarding the delay in the payment of epidemic accounts, the Minister of Public Health has sent .the following' telegram to the Mayor of Christcliurch.

''With regard to the resolution of the British Medical Association and criticisms thereupon, ' I would point out to you that the epidemic entailed huge expenditure amounting to approximately between £200,000 and' £250,000 spread over the entire Dominion. The handling of these accounts has been an enormous work placed upon a staff depleted by the epidemic. Early in the year instructions were senf to all hospital boards to forward all epidemic accounts by January 31. Down to March 31 no accounts had been received from five hospital .boards. The work dealing with doctors' accounts has been largely interfered with by the fact that the medical side of the Department had fori several weeks to concentrate on the Epidemic Royal Commission. Ido not think the delay that has taken place in settling accounts of medical practitioners in Ohristchurch greatly exceeds the average in the payment of Government Department's accounts , notwithstanding the facts stated, whilst I imagine there are many medical practitioners who have accounts on their books much longer in time than the four of five months since the epidemic started. Another difficulty has been that while the Dunedin doctors forwarded a claim under the block system of five guineas a day, a number of accounts have been received from Ohristchurch medical men at ten guineas a day. The question as to what would be a fair adjustment between these two sums has required very careful consideration, and settlement on the point was come to only a few days ago, when it was determined that seven guineas would be a fair thing for the medical men who devoted the whole of their time to the block system. It is not alleged that this would be adequate payment in all cases, but I feel sure that the medical profession as a whole is animated by too high ideals to make the existence of an epidemic a means of extracting the last pound payment out" of the people of this country. Instruc-I tions have been given for the immediate payment of all doctors' accounts on the lines stated, and an officer of the Department is now in Christchureh for the purpose of settling all accounts other thanthose of medical men. On this question I might say that considerable sums have been saved to the Government by discounts on charges made. In three small districts in the North Island discounts amounting to approximately £1750 were obtained. I think this explanation will satisfy you and every other reasonable person that considering the huge nature of the epidemic, covering as it did the whole Dominion, and expenditure [arising therefrom payable to thousands of people, there has been no unreasonable delay in the payment of accounts."