B.M.A PLEBISCITE ON HEALTH ACT
(Press Assn.-
ERITISH DOCTORS' VOTE MAJORITY AGAINST . AFTER POLL
-Rec. 9.80 p.m.) *>
LONDON, Dec. 13. The British Medical Associat'an's plebiscite on whether the cOctors should negotiate with the Government on the National Fiealth Act Regulatiops resulted h* a vote of 18,972 for and 23,110 a: :ainsf the proposal. Eig-hty-one per cent of civilian doctors voted, of whom 44 per cent wero for and 56 per cent against negotiations. Thirty-two per cent of service doctors v&ted, of whom 56 per cent were for and 44 per cent ag-ainst the prdposition. Dr. H. Guy Dain, chairman of the B.M.A. council, said the council had (iecided the neg-ative majority was sufficient to justify not entering discussions with the Minister. The B.M.A. representative body would meet on January 28 to empower the nogotiating committee to inform the Minister that because of the divergence of principles, profession and provisions of the National Health Act the committee was unable to enter into discussions. Loyalty to F'atients "The Minister may have many ofi'ers of help but none from the main body representing the profession," Dr. Dain added. "The Act is not a conscription Act and the decision not to join the service is not disloyalty to the country. Whatever the outcome the doctors will be loyal to their patients." Dr. Dain said the Act would he inoperable without the B.M.A. co-operating. Dr. Charles Hill, B.M.A. secretary, said legal opinion was that the Act j left it free for the doctors to join • he service or not. "There is no question of a strike," he added. "The medical profession is going to go on doing its job." An official of the Socialist Medical Assoeiation said: "It is clear the B.M.A. is vsplit from top to bottom. The way service doctors voted shows that the younger doctors favour Ihe new service." Minister's Attitude "I c-itn no longer postpone consultations which are a necessary preliminary of the setting up of the udministrative machinery," said Mr. \nuerin Bevan, Minister of Health. In a statemem; on the B.M.A. plebiscite. "I am therefore consulting all the many other interests which will be concerned in the national health service." Mr. Bevan said he hoped wisor counsels would have prevailed before the B.M.A. decided to recommond to e special representative meeting that tho profession should refuse to .iiscuss with him steps to bring the national health service into operation.
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Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 14 December 1946, Page 5
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399B.M.A PLEBISCITE ON HEALTH ACT Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 14 December 1946, Page 5
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