LODGES & DOCTORS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2738, 5 April 1916, Page 6

LODGES & DOCTORS

STATE OF DEADLOCK DEMAND FOR HIGHER FEES SOCIETIES ASK AID OF THE MINISTER "The deadlock which is the only result to date of long negotiations between tho Wellington Friendly Societies and the medical men, was discussed at considerable length yesterday by a depu-' tation of friendly societies' representatives, and tho Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell), and the Minister iu Charge of Friendly Societies (the Hon. J. A. Hanan). Mr. J. T. Rash said tho societies were in • trouble because all the lodge doctors had resigned, and had refused to undertake tho work_again except at terms which the societies wuld not agree to. It was utterly impossible for them to accept the doctors' terms. Now tho lodges had no doctors at all, and the members were simply going to doctors as private patients. Tho lodges had come to the Minister with proposals m which they asked his aid. The. Negotiations. Mr. J. J. L. Burke narrated tho sequence of events leading up to the prosent position. In August last, he said the lodge branches and societies in Wellington got notice from their medical officers mat after three months they would not any longer attend lodge patients. Immediately afterwards 'the lodge doctors forwarded a ' schadu a of new terms for acceptance by the lodges'. On receipt of this draft agreement representatives of the different lodges were call«d together, and the whole question was considered at several meetings. Previously the doctors had contracted to attend a lodge mom'-'ci andhis family for los. per year. The new proposal was to charge 245. per year, an increase of 60 per iei.s. Th'-y also asked for increased payments for certain special services. A <onfereni:i« of representatives of the societies w'as called, and this conference made representations to the doctors, submitting that they could not accept the new because tho lodges could not pay the higher rates. The conference met the doctors to discuss the position anew, and at that meeting the medical men' insisted that they represented lodge doctors only, and riot the Medical Association. . Tho doctors still refused to accept less than 245., but were inclined to give way. a little on some of the extras. 'The doctors were then asked whether they would consider bjj increase to IBs. per member, and the doctors said they would have to consult their colleagues on the question. Another proposal made to the medical 1 men was that they should appoint, say, half a/dozen men to act for the lodges at a- salary of £500, with the right of private practice. Eventually the reply received from' the doctors was that tfiey would not consider less than 245. At the conference, when this latter suggestion was first put forward,-one of the doctors said, by way of objection: "Some of us will be cut out." The B.M.A. Takes a Hand. The lodges then decided to try to get help from the doctors who had not been on the Lodge lists. It was at this &tage that the came into the business, issuing a notification to doctors not to take up lodge practice without consulting the B.M.A. Mr. Russell: They adopted tho usual practice of unions warning other peoplo not to interfere when tliere is .indu6tvial trouble •>&.'•■■-■ Mr. Hanan: Pickets hi a strike! Mr. 'Burke said the lodges got into touch : with doctors outside of Wellington, finally concluded an agreement. Jio did not turn up at the appointed time, and it was supposed' that he had been "bought over" or something of tho sort. The societies got into touch soon afterwards' with another doctor. This man, was warned by the lodges that ho would have to fight the 8.M.A., but he signed the agreement to come hero at £500 a year, with a bonus of £5 per week until the help of other doctors could be obtained. This man was in Wellington ten days when, to the surprise of the societies, he resigned, stating that he could not practise any longer in Wellington. To members who discussed the matter with him, he said that this was due to pressure- from the 8.M.A., and in a letter to the committee of the societies he wrote: "I am unable to continue in my position owing to' representations made to me by the B.M.A;'' Now the societies were without doctors. -The lodges were simply pooling funds to pay ordinary fees to medical men attending, members who were sick. It was decided that only accounts from certain doctors, would be recognised, whereupon the B.M.A. put a notice in the paper that these doctors were not under any arrangement with the frienoiy societies. Now when a man went to a doctor the first question he Was asked was, "Are you a lodge patient '(" If the patient should reply "Yes," the next question wasi "Who is your doctor?" If the patient had a regular doctor, the medical man on whom ho called would refuso to treat him, but would order him to go to his own doctor. Also it was a fact that some doctors had increased the consultation charge to lodge members from 7s. 6d. to 10b. 6d. Whether the increase was specially directed against ledge patients he' could not say, but some of the bills now coming in were made,out. at tho rate of 10s. 6d. per visit, whereas formerly the doctor's oharge was 7s. 6d. The lodges had tried-by every possible means to get dectors. They could not get members of the 8.M.A., and they tried to get other medical men, but.the B.M.A. interfered to prevent this. The medical men said they were overworked, but this could not be the reason for giving up lodge practice, because they were willing to continue it at a higher rate. It was not right that in these times doctors should ask for increased pay, especially as the money would have to come from poor people 'already _ feeling the high cost, of living. The increase the doctors asked for would amount to more than £1800 a year. "'We ask you," he said, "whether you can not prevent these medical officers from striking like ordinary.work-people,' and saying, 'You must pay us mora before we attend, to you.' " Doctors from America? . One suggestion made, said Mr. Burke, was that doctors should be obtained from America to do lodge work. The only difficulty was that the registration of these doctors might not be accepted bv the board. The societies would like to know whether tho Government would place any obstacle in the way of the registration of American doctors if tlioy could be induced to come here. Tho B'.M.A., he alleged, had attempted to boycott the friendly societies, and now the societies, haying failed to come to an agreement with them, wanted to know whether it -would be possible to bring doctors hero from America. Mr. C. S. S. Kelly, said that the doctors had stated that the agreement at 245. would be only temporary, and that after the war they would, expect 30s. a member. There were 230.000 members of friendly societies in New Zealand, and. surely these peoplo deserved some consideration at this time of stress. Letters had been received in Wellington from societies in other centres to the effect that their doctors also were asking for increased fees.

Other speakers in the deputation wero Messrs. A. W. 0. Travcrs and G. Head.

he deeply sympathised with those people in Wellington receiving wages at tho rate of from £2 to £3 a week, who required medical attention. The chnrgos made against the doctors were ' very serious. Tho doctors who had been doing friendly societies' work wore, "as a result of conditions arising out of tho war, trading upon tho necessities of those who are m poor circumstances, and who may require medical attention, by increasing the payments to bo allowed to them for attention to Jodgo members." Tho representations made were very illuminating, as showing that there were members of some professions who were willing to take up, and who did take up, the attitude assumed by manual workers —that was to withdraw their labour when they thought lit, or to sell their labour in the highest market. He did not think there was any law to compel a niau to sell his labour unless ho was willing to do so. He could not see that tho societies could ask the Government to pass legislation medical men in this country to sell their labour at a certain price unless they were willing to do so. "You must pay for brains in whatever walk of life you may be," he said, "and you can't compel men to givo their labour or their services unless they are willing to_ do so, and at such prices as they think are reasonable." Mr. Hanan said he was glad to state that in his own town of Invercargill the doctors and friendly societies were working amicably together. He was inclined to think that in Wellington a little feeling had been imported into the negotiations, and that if this could be banished a workable arrangement could be made. It must be said on behalf of doctors that tlioy did a large amount of work gratuitously. At the same time it could be said that there were many doctors who to-day had big practices, who owed their beginning to friendly society work. "You are asked." said Mr. Hanan, addressing his colleague, "if doctors are imported from America or England, will they be prevented from giving their services to friendly societies? I have no doubt your reply will bo this " Mr. Russell: Leave me to make my renlv. Mr. Hanan- "that if the doctors are qualified there will he no difficulty about their registration." , A Regrettable Impasse. The Hon. G. W. Russell said. he, too, sympathised with the friendly societies in the unfortunate position in which they were placed., No one appreciated more than he did the valuable work done by friendly societies from the time of their establishment in New Zealand, and it was a matter for the.greatest regret to him that such an impasse should occur. The matter was not new to him. He had been watching the development of it, and waiting for an. opportunity to use 'any influence he might possess to get over the difficulty; That he conceived to .be one of hi; duties as Minister of Public Health. His colleague had suggested very properly that it did not follow that because negotiations had failed, no further negotiations which might he instituted could he successful. He would take the deputation as an indication that if he could bring about a settlement satisfactory to both sides ,the friendly societies would be willing to _ conclude an agreement.' What the societies wanted was the service of reliable doctors at prices which they could afford to pay. The Doctors' Coorf Work.V He wished to say another _ thing— that while tho war was on this country was under a very deep debt of obligation to the medical men cf New Zealand for the magnificent work done by them in the ,camp, at the front, on the hospital ships, and everywhere, to help pur soldiers;, ; He realised thai there was a shortage of doctors." From day to day he received letters from people in the backblocks crying out for medical men, and in some cases even a higher . salary was offered than the friendly societies were ready to pay. He was'unable to supply these districts with doctors. Under these circumstances he thought it would he not only ungrateful but improper that any special encouragement should be given by the people of this country to medical men from America or anywhere, else to come and create practices in opposition to the dootors who had gone away on military service. At the same time ha realised that even from that point of view, the question had a twofold aspect. The people of this country had as much tight to efficient medical service as had the soldiers at the front, and he intended to secure it if he could.

There remained the practical question of'how doctors could be obtained. Some months ago he;received letters, from America inquiring for particulars as to registration. These he forwarded at once, but he had received no reply. The la)v, as he explained, was that any medical man entitled to be registered in the United Kingdom was entitled to registration here. Some American degrees were accepted in England as sufficient, but others wore not. There were young doctors just through their course at Otago University now awaiting appointment. He had made suggestions to the Otago Medical Sohool by which the supply of doctors' could be increased as rapidly as possible in order to cope with the present position. He could not see his way to bring down legislation to widen the door of admission to the practice of medicine in New Zealand by the holders of American or ether foreign-diplomas, but the friendly societies had a full right to' invite- to New Zealand every medical man who <vas entitled to, be registered in the United Kingdom. By Aot of Parliament. "With regard to tho general question," he concluded, "I would 1 like to say that I will consult with my colleague, Mr. Hanan, to see if any pioposal can bo made that will be effective. If any efforts I may' make to deal with the trouble prove iueffeotive, then, gentlemen, I realise the full responsibility of my position, and I shall submit proposals to Cabinet that will enable me to deal with the matter."