NEW SCHEME OUTLINED BY MINISTER

Chronicle (Levin), 31 May 1946, Page 3

NEW SCHEME OUTLINED BY MINISTER

-Press Association

By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, May 30. A scheme of medical and health, service which invoives a radical departure from existing practice and follows fairly ciosely tne proposals embodied in the Health Bill now before the British Parliament, has been prepared by the Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer). The plan, which invoives full time specialist and general practitioner services provided by the State, was submitted to a conference of North Auckland hospital boards in Whangarei for ccnsideration with a view to their adoption in that area. Fxpiainiiig the scheme as it would uppiy to North Auckland, the Minister suid tliat medical services would be provided by specialists and general practilioners, wlio would be controlled by a North Auckland health authority. The scheme would be linaneed by a sum estnnated at £07,000, or about £1 a head of population in North Auckland, to be sei aside annually from the Social Keeurity Fund. The nuuiber of specialists determiued necessary would be jiaid from the teocial becurity Fund up to an average lunount of £1000 for eacli full-time specialist. Travelling expenses would aiso be paid from the fund. All specialists would be stationed at Whangarei but would visit subsidiary centres for opcrations and consultations as necessarv.

Seven Specialists? The following was a tentative list of the specialists required: — Badiologist, patlioiogist, tuberculosis otlicer, eye, car, nosc, and tliroat surgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, physician, and general surgeon. Arrangements would be inade for part-time specialists to visit the district as required. The estiniated costs of specialists' services would be £10, .100, being au average salary of £1000 a year, plus £000 travelling expenses. it was proposed to have one general practitioner for each 2000 to 2500 of tne population. This would' provide 32 doctors stationed in various areas tnroughout North Auckland. Remuneration would be decided by negotiation with the doctors in the area. The es- : timated cost of general practitioner I services was set down at £57,600 for 32 | doctors at an average salary of £1500, | with £300 travelling expenses. Where possible existing practices would be j preserved, but if this were impossible ! ccmpensation would be paid. Matcrnity and pharmaeeutieal bene- | lits would not be iucluded iu the proi posed scheme but would be ceutrally ! admiuistered by the Health Depart- ! ment. For tliese services doctors would ' rcceive additional remuneration at : rutos to be determiued. The proposals for the control of medical services are to be examined by the medical men in the area.

Altliough the value of an organised health scheme for North Auckland is recognised, the proposals of the Minister came as a surprise to doctors in Auckland. It is understood that the j (lovernment's plan is to be considered iu detail at a meeting of the New Zeaj land Couneil of the British Medical Asj sociation next week. An cxecutive oiiicer of the Auckland division of the association said last night that only the broad outline of the scheme was so far available and many | details of great importance to the proj fessiou liad not yet been supplied. For : example, iu the case of salaried general prucLitiouers and specialists, tliere was no indication of thc tcrms of appointmcnt, general conditions, and the hours of work or the composition of the health coinmittees which were to control the scheme and whicli were considered to be of great importance, he said. The association would be insistent on adequate representation of the professiou. Doctor's eil'orts liad ofteu been liundicapped by lay boards, and they fcared the same tendency inight develop under the new scheme. The scheme also appcared to present Ihe anomaly of general practitioners being paid more than specialists. According to the Minister 's outline, specialists would rcceive up to an average amount of £1600. General practitioners wero to be paid £1500, but they would earn additional remuneration for maternity work umounting to perhaps £400 to £500 u year. Such a system would tend to discourago doctors from undertaking extra work and study to attaini specialist rank. Tliere was no provision, it seetned, for doctors who might wisli to continuc in private practice outsidc the scliemc, a right which men in existing, established practice might wish to exerciije.