NATIONAL MEDICAL SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16688, 10 March 1920, Page 2

NATIONAL MEDICAL SERVICE.

FAVOURABLY REGARDED,

BY BRITISH DOCTORS,

WELLINGTON, March 10.

A discussion of the desirability of nationalising tiie medical service, or at least of lorming an efficient State service is occurring lii parts of ,the world other than New Zealand. The Chief neaith umcer (Dr. Valmtine),,who has just returned from a trip abroad,- states that the question, was very much in the air in Great Britain and, as far as he had had opportunities of observing, the system hauvery much bettor chances of being adopted than in the pre-war days.

a great many medical men, the majority in fact, had served during the war, with the result that the profession was now bettor disciplined than ever before, while the war positions diad given a number of the doctors experience of and taste for administrative work. As a result many -were much more inclined to take up that branch of work than to resume private practice. Unfortunately, too, many who had, given up their practices to serve their country had come back to find those practices had dwindled to such an extent thSt it was necessary for them almost to start all oyer again. All those factors were working in the direction of doing away with any serious opposition from members of the profession to tho nationisation of the sorvioo.

At the same time. Dr. Valintm# said the authorities ':t‘ Home were more engrossed at present with a scheme for reorganising hospital arrangements than with the other questions. At present there was no proper system, in vogue in Great Britain. Dr, Addison, the Minister in charge of Public Health, recognised that, and was very keen on adopting a system of hospital organisation throughout England and Wales. ' “In that connection I may say with a certain amount of pride,?’ remarked Dr. Valintine, “that the authorities at Whitehall, with whom 1 1 had several conferences, told me that of all the hospital systems in the Empire and other countries into which they had inquired the New' Zealand system appealed to them as the most, suitable ; and applicable in the United Kipgdonf. 1 had five days at Whitehall discussing this question with Intelligence Officers of the Public Health Department who w'ere specially detailed to report upon “ the hospital system suitable, for use iu Great Britain.”

Dr. Valintine added that his own observations in other countries during his trip had led him to believe that as far as the hospital system and administration w-ent, New Zealand had not much to learn. So far as -the number of beds provided in hospitals per 1000-' of population went, New Zealand was well in the lead.