THE DOCTORS' BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1560, 2 October 1912, Page 7

THE DOCTORS' BOYCOTT.

LONDON DESIGNATIONS. Sir TeloEranb-Prees Aesociation-Coryrieht (Rec. October 1, 9.55 p.m.) London, October, 1. Altogether 221S London doctors have resigned their club practices in consequence of the movement against the National Insurance Act. WHAT THE DOCTORS WANT. .'The average rate of payment in the friendly societies," one of the secretaries of the British Medical Association stated a while ago to a London press representative, "is about 4s, a patient a year. According to Mr. Lloyd-George's scheme the rate is to bo Gs. At first sight it seems as if the present sweating scale is to bo considerably improved upon. But wo arc not told how much this 6s. the chemists are to take for drugs and medical appliances generally. They will hardly be satisfied with, less than Is. Gd. a year, and this leaves the doctor with; the munificent remuneration of 4s. Gd. for each patient ho attends throughout a year. This extra sixpence is hardly enough to make the medical man hurry to accept the Bill. "We are not told as yet whether this six-shilling rate' (with Is. Gd. for tho chemist) is to include all classes of lives. It must be remembered that tho members of friendly societies are carefully chosen; only those are accepted who aro above a certain physical standard—in other words, are not likely to require more than a minimum amount of medical attendance during the year. If the. now scheme is to bo general, and to include tho sickly and chronically diseased, as well, as all those up to or above tho friendly societies' standard, it" stands . to reason that tho new 'State doctor' will have to do a great, deal more work in th(\ year to earn his 4s. Gd. than the man who chooses to do friondly society work at four shillings. '.'The doctors who attend .the post office employees aro paid at tho rate of Bs. Gd. a patient a year, including drugs, etc. Hero again the patients are picked livcs._ Is there any reason, why these practitioners should be paid Bs. 6d. a year for patients who theoretically ought to require their services very infrequently, while the rank and file cf the doctors throughout the oountry should be offered 6s. for patients who in actual practice aro certain to bo ill much more frequently and so much larger demand on their services?"