MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS’ BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 924, 29 November 1910, Page 4

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS’ BILL.

The above Bill, which has been circulated, proposes to constitute a Medical Board, of whom the Inspector-General of Hospitals will be a member, the others will be appointed by the Governor, three of them being appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Medical Association. Members of the Board will hold office for three years, but the Governor retains the power to remove any member if he thinks fit. Every person is entitled to be registered under the Act who satisfies the Board that he is (a) a graduate in medicine and surgery of the University of New Zealand, (b) registered on the register kept in accordance with the provisions of the Acts regulating the registration of medical practitioners in the United Kingdom ; (c) eligible for registration in that register ; (d) the holder of a foreign diploma approved by the Board. The Board is, however, empowered to refuse approval to any foreign diploma unless New Zealand graduates are accorded the right of recognition in the country from which such foreign diploma is issued. Provision is made by which registration can be refused to persons not of good character and for the lodging of objections to registration, but if the Board refuses registration the applicant is given the right of appealing to the Supreme Court, whose decision is final. Registered medical practitioners are requested to give notice to the Registrar-General of any change of their address, and if the address of any registered person cannot be found the Registrar - General must remove his name from the registrar. Further, the Supreme Court is given power to remove from the registrar the name of any medical practitioner found guilty of grave misconduct or of an indictable offence. Any person, who, not being registered, practices medicine or surgery is liable on summary conviction to a fine of £s a day, and anyone who by false pretences procures registration is liable on conviction to imprisonment with or without hard labour not exceeding three years. Only persons registered under the Act may hold any appointment as physician or surgeon.