DOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17757, 29 January 1926, Page 7

DOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC.

B.M.A. GIVES WARNING AGAINST ADVERTISING.

The following is the text of the Warning Notice (paragraph 6) which was adopted at the June, 1923, session of the General Medical Council, and under which the recent convictions of doctors for “ advertising ” took place; “0. Advertising and Canvassing. “ The practices by a registered medical practitioner—

(a.) Of advertising, whether directly or indirectly, for the purpose of obtaining patients or promoting his own professional advantage, or, for any such purpose, of procuring or sanctioning or acquiescing in the publication of notices commending or directing attention to the practitioner's professional skill, knowledge, services or qualifications or depreciating those of others; of being associated with or employed by those who procure or sanction such advertising or publication; and (b) Of canvassing or employing any agent or canvasser for the purpose of obtaining patients; or of sanctioning or of being associated with or employed by those who sanction such employ-

are in the opinion of the Council contrary to the public interest and discreditable to the profession of medicine, and any registered medical practioner who resorts to any such practice renders himself liable on proof of the facts to have his name erased from the Medical Register.” The Central Ethical Committee of the British Aledieal Association drew up a report on this Warning Notice, in which the following explanations of its scope and character are offered: —- “ Examples of the newer methods (of advertising) are to be found in interview’s granted to newspaper representatives and in signed letters or articles sent to newspapers. In many of these members of the profession, either by the direct assertion of the journalists concerned, or by more indirect methods, are referred to as possessing, or allow it to be inferred from their owmi w’ords that they possess, methods of treatment superior to those practised by others.

MEANING OF “ ADVERTISING.’* “In the opinion of the Committee (of the British Aledieal Association) the word ‘ advertising * in connection with the medical profession must be taken in its broadest sense to include all those ways by which a person is made publicly known, either by himself or by others without his objection, in a manner which can fairly be regarded as ‘ for the purpose of obtaining patients or promoting his own professional advantage.” “It is generally accepted by the profession that certain customs arc so universally practised that. it cannot be said that they are for the person’s own advantage, as, for instance, a door plate w’ith the simple announcement of the doctor’s name and profession. Even this, however, may be abused by undue particularity or elaboration. “ It is commonly agreed that channels must be open for discussion between members of the profession for recording the results of research and clinical experience, and for bringing to the notice of other members books published and facilities for treatment offered. The recognised channels are medical societies, medical periodicals, and works primarily intended for the medical profession. The information so given is intended for the convenience and advantage of the profession, which will be in a position to judge of the value of the information and of the manner in which it is conveyed. Even this legitimate kind of advertisement is capable of abuse. “ It is the recognised duty and right of a medical man to take his share as a citizen in public life, but there is no reason w’hy this should involve any advertisement of himself as a doctor and, with due care, improper advertisement can be avoided. . . .

“ Speaking generally, it may be said that the medical men most often quoted in the Press are not those w ? hose opinions carry most weight with the me'dical profession or with the educated public. . . The Association ” (the British Medical Association) “is convinced that in taking up an attitude of determined opposition to these undesirable journalistic methods the Association is acting in the best interests of the public as well as of the medical profession. The extension of the system can only lead to a competition for public notice in which the abler and more scrupulous men would be left behind by those who. professionally, are greatly inferior, to the detriment of the public, who are illqualified to judge of the true worth of scientific opinions.”