PHYSICAL FITNESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 June 1941, Page 4

PHYSICAL FITNESS

EXAMINATIONS AT HOSPITAL REFUSED SOCIAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT REQUEST. ATTITUDE OF WAIRARAPA BOARD. A decision to refuse to make medical examinations at the request of the Social Security Department was reached, following a long discussion, at a meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board yesterday afternoon. It was considered that the work should be carried out by general practitioners. The Hospital Boards’ Association of New Zealand wrote stating that it understood some misunderstanding had arisen in connection with the arrangement entered into in 1933 and re-en-dorsed in 1936 under which boards werp to examine and give certificates for certain unemployment cases, particularly where physical unfitness was made a reason for refusing work offered by the Unemployment Boardnow the Employment Division of the National Service Department. With the institution of the free out-patient service boards would not in any case be entitled, to make a charge. “The examination is not so necessary as in the past. When men were going on definitely hard work it was only right that they should be classed as fit,” said the chairman, Mr H. H. Mawley. At present all kind of work was offering and in some cases the demand for labour could not be filled. Light work was available. It was open to question if the board should be an. examining place for workers.

Mr P. R. Welch: “They want to push them out to do some work,” "The man they want to get rid of is the man on sustenance who is fit for work,” said Mr Norman Lee, man-aging-secretary. "The thing to do is to get them all up here, examine them and class them fit,” said Mr A. Forsberg. Mrs S. Fletcher: “Some are too ill.” Mr Mawley: “In that case they don’t need examining.” ■'There will be fewer men to examine now,’ said Mrs J. Robertson. Mr W. B. Martin: “It is outside our province.” In reply to Mr J. F. Thompson, Mr Lee stated that men who were examined were not asked to pay any fee, according to the arrangement. “We deal with the treatment of' the sick here.” said Mr Martin. Mrs Robertson: “It is a case of charitable aid. If a man cannot work then he cannot pay a doctor for a certificate.”

Mr Thompson: “That is quite so.” The medical superintendent, Dr. T. L. Parr, stated that the arrangeme'it - was “ancient history.” Things quite different now under Social Security legislation. At the time of the slump hospital boards undertook to classify men. It was a big burden but hospitals were then comparatively slack. Today the work was provided for by the general practitioner service. Out-patient consultations at the hospital would cease and would be replaced by a consultative clinic, under the medical benefit scheme. That would have been done already had the full service been prowided by the general practitioners. The agreement had lapsed and should not apply to the present circumstances. It was purely “referee” work and was not the treatment of the sick, nor was it part of the hospital’s function. Dr. Parr said, that the examination was for minor “invalidity” pension. In Masterton the general practitioners did referee work fol which in many cases they received no payment. The hospital assisted where necessary. Sustenance men were examined by practitioners. "People are inclined to think that they should not be liable to pay for certificates because the service should be free,” said Dr. Parr. As far as outpatient treatment was concerned it was regarded as being only consultative. He did not wish to carry out the orders of a Social Security clerk. More and. more work was being pushed on to the hospitals. Dr. Parr said he would not be surprised, if the Government Life Insurance Department asked to have clients examined at the hospital. The board should take a stand as to what was the hospital’s work and what was the general practitioner’s. The scheme would be a burden and an exaspiration. Mr Martin: “We shouldn’t take it. If the general practitioner service becomes free the matter will solve itself.” Dr Parr: “It will, any day now.” Mr Mawley: “We should be careful*' not to take the work of practitioners.” Mr Martin: “The practitioners have special knowledge of individual cases.” Mr Mawley: "Nearly all practitioners are part time paid members of the staff.” IL was agreed to refuse medical examinations for the Social Security Department.