PANEL FOR DOCTORS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 110, 26 May 1937, Page 7

PANEL FOR DOCTORS

-Preu AHoeiatlnB.)

£2000 a Year is Estimate , of Return NATIONAL SCHEME

(Bj Telearaph-

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. I In Christchurch there is keen discus-' sion among doctors over the proposal that under the Government 's intended health insurahce soheme, all general medical practitioners should be brought under some such panel system as exists in Great Britain. No offlcial statement is being made either in Government qUarters or by representatives of the medical profession, but it is admitted on both sides that the panel system is included as an integral feature in the proposals being eonsidered for the general health scheme. Gity medical men diseussed the panel system at a meeting held last week, when they were addressed on the health scheme generally by the president of the New Zealand branch of the British. Medical Association, Dr. T. D. M. Stout, of Wellington. It is etated authoritaitively that the panel system suggested ^for inclusion in the national health scheme will involve allotting all re* cognised practitioners a maximum number of patients, each ranging ac cording to the ptesent proposals between 2000 and 3000 subsCribexs to the general scheme, which will be universal, If .the present. wishes of the Government are carried out, the subscribers, : •wiu pay Ua annual contribution for this serviee ranging from £1 annuaiiy, the present suggested minimum, to a higher subscription according to income. It is intended under this scheme that subscribers will be given an opportunxty at the outset to nomlnate their choice of doctor, but that where a doctor receives more than the average of allocation, there will have to be a turnover to another doctor. This scheme would ensure medical men a maximum income ef at least £2000, the actual figure being the number of patients allocated to each doctor. It is stated that in discussions held by medical men in Christchurch the . figure has been placod as high as £3000 and the city population" flgures bear this out. It is also stated that the scheme being eonsidered provided that where a subscribir wishes to consult a specialist as well as his panei doctor, he wili be entitled to do so, but that the specialist 's fees will be in addition to his annual contribution to the national scheme funds. Apparently the allocation of patients under the scheme will bo worked out in a way that will allow as much as possible recognition of subscribers' preferences as well as regional convenience. These are Only the broad general outlines of ihe scheme which the medical profession has been asked to consider apparently by the iaveStig&ting committee set up by the Government to prepare a national scheme for health and superannuation benefits on a eompulsory contributory basis.