WEALTHY PATIENTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18219, 1 November 1924, Page 16

WEALTHY PATIENTS.

A HOSPITAL PROBLEM. ATTITUDE OF B.M.A. •>3ESS ASSOCIATION TZLEG3AIT.) PALM ERSTON X.. October 31. The attitude of the British Medical Association in the matter of the position of honorary staffs public hospitals was placed before Mr E. Page. S.M., at the conclusion of the hearing of the Bryce case to-day by Dr. R. Campbei! Begg, who watched the proceedings 011 behalf of the Association. Br. Begg strongly emphasised the attitude of the B.M.A. towards -members of the honorary staff in their refusal to treat wealthy patients in public hospitals, but pointed out that in 110 circumstances was the health of patients to be jeopardised by any such action- He said that when the Medical Practitioners Bill was being placed before Parliament, and he had been called upon to give evidence, the argument had been used that a doctor might be called to an accident or an urgent case and might refuse to attend until lie had received or been guaranteed a fee. The Association had then decreed that, any action of this character would constitute infamous misconduct in a professional respect. "The question of honorary medical staffs is very unsatisfactory throughout. the whole of the Dominion." continued Dr. Begg. "'Hospital Boards look upon their honorary medical men merely as those who will carry out their duties and perform their operations, but they do not regard them as advisers as to any improvement in the management of the institution. The conviction of the Association is that the failure of these boards to utilise the service and advice of the honorary staffs in the way of improving hospitals and making them fit for modern requirements has had more influence than any other factor in keeping hospitals in Xew Zealand in their present state of inefficiency. T say this advisedly. for in many respects hospitals are inefficient," Apart from treatment of the sick and indigent, one of the very important aspects of a hospital was the scientific knowledge which was to be gained by tlie medical men concerned, which would in turn lead to wider experience in the profession and better medical service generally. The Association favoured the, system of honorary staffs under proper conditions. He advocated the establishment of the community hospital system, and the division of the people into three classes —poor, middle class and wealthy. He thought provision should be made for the treatment of poor people, to whom three guineas wa-s a. vast sum, and said that some indication should be given prior to entry as to how much could be paid. He decried what lie called the indiscreet banning of poor patients by hospital boards in order to improve their financial position. In regard to the middle class, the speaker said many people regarded the public hospital in a similar light to a gaol and would go to any length to be allowed private treatment. The B.M.A- did not think the profession was justified in allowing these people to go to such lengths, for some of them M-ere financially crippled for years as a result. For this it was difficult to find a remedy. Wealthy people who could afford to pay for the best should receive the best facilities that were available in the hospital. "By having such a system," concluded Dr. Begg, "which caters for the whole community, hospitals, instead of being looked upon with dread, will be regarded in their proper light — places where sickness is relieved and proper medical attention secured."