PANEL DOCTORS

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22133, 29 November 1941, Page 8

PANEL DOCTORS

PATIENTS’ RIGHT OF TRANSFER (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Nov. 27. A question whether patients have legal rights of transfer from the lists of any of the doctors who operated the original social security medical benefits scheme was raised at a sitting of the Armed Services’ Appeal Board to-day during the hearing of an appeal for exemption from service on behalf of Dr Athol Ewan McMillan, of Invercargill. The appeal, which was adjourned from a previous sitting of the board, was adjourned until tomorrow morning pending a ruling from the Minister of Health, Mr A. H. Nordmeyer.

The appeal was made by the Hotel Workers’ Union, the Invercargill branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of New Zealand, the Associated Society of Railway Servants, David Harris, union secretary, the Central Branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, and Peter Hennessey. The chairman (Mr J. R. Bartholo* mew, S.M.), quoted a newspaper report of a statement by the department, and said that apparently those patients under the original capitation scheme of 15/- a year for each patient were not eligible’ for the new scheme. The original scheme seemed to be the limit of their rights, which meant that those patients could have recourse only to one doctor, except in an emergency. Mr A. N. Haggitt (for the Crown): They can resign. “We should have something authoritative before us,” said Mr Bartholomew. Counsel for the appellants, Mr Gordon J. Reed, said he would send a telegram to the Minister. MINISTER explains position (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Nov. 28. An appeal against military service on behalf of Dr. A. E. McMillan, of Invercargill, was , completed before No. 6 Armed Services' Appeal Board to-day, and was adjourned sine die by the Board. In giving the decision of the board, the chairman (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) said that Dr. McMillan was the only local medical practitioner giving service in that part of the scheme for national medical service by which payment was 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 objectors,” said Mr Bartholomew. “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 appellants, read the following telegram sent on Thursday to the Minister of Health: “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?”

Mr Reed read the following 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/- for consultation above the amount allowed under the fee for service scheme.”