BRITISH HEALTH SCHEME

Chronicle (Levin), 7 July 1948, Page 5

BRITISH HEALTH SCHEME

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter,,

All Forms Of Medical Care And Advice

Copyright)

jseceiyea xuesaay, ( kp.m. LONDON, July 5. Bfitaln'g new national; health sefVide pegan today. It Will pfovide medical, hospitaj. clinic, and ojpticai cate Lot Sverybody. , Three other new. heryiees. have also been started: National insufanee, tc Which1 niQSt inen hetween 16 and 65, • and woipen hetween 16 and 80, Will be eompulsefy cohtfibutofs; the Nationai Assistance Boafd, Which repiaces all the poor law and previous ."supplementafy pensien and empioyment assistance* schemes; and indtistriai injuiies assistance, which fepiaces wonkefS' conipenSation and pVoVides a benefit according to the degfee pf disabl'emeiit, in excfiange for 4d (men) and 3d" (womeh) which is included in the national insurance payihent. The Minister of Health, Mr. Alieurin Bevan, commenting on the national health service, said : ' ' There has been a slignt controversy, but the argumenb Is now over and work starts. We don't want to recall old quarrels; We want to get on with the job. " ThiS service, in wbich, pefhaps, the most interest is heing taken, providea all forms of medical advice and cafe, hospital and specialist seryices, medicines, drugs and appliances, .as well as a family doctor. It is availahle to everybody, whetber insured or not, and there are no fees ta pay. Nearly 19,000 doctors are accepting the Service under the Act, and thousands oi specialists. There will be 533,000 hospital bels and 4000 infant welfare centres. Private wards will be.available for fi^c pqtients if medical advisers think them necessary. Chemists ex'pect to be bpsier during the coming year, and to make up five prescriptions per hour compared with three in the past., Thousands of people who have been paying up to £5 a we'ek for relatives in sanatoi'ia and mental hospitals will pay no longer, Dentists are still not satisfied with the. terms of the Aet, and- two out of : every three of the 12,000 in Britain are waiting for better terms. Altogether, 2751 hospitals have passed into State ownership. About 1000 of these are voluntary hospitals, and the remainder municipaL Only 236 hospitals in England and Wales, mostlv controlled by relig'ious organisations, will remain oUtside the sclieme. Mr. Bevan has deeided that they are not required for the service. Thirty-slx-, teaching hospitals, though included in' "the seheme, wij.1 continue to have their own separate boards of governors. The Ministry of Health said that the total number of people registered on doctors' lists' so far was » about 27,500,000.