BIG MEDICINE BILL

Shannon News, 15 October 1926, Page 4

BIG MEDICINE BILL

BRITISH HEALTH INSURANCE. OVER £2,000,000 ANNUALLY. The feature of a recent sitting al Birmingham of the Foresters' High Court was a speech by Sir Walter Kinnear, Controller of National Insurance, on the health insurance problems which await solution. Mr Frank Baker Salisbury, High Chief Ranger, presided. Sir Walter said one of the most disquieting and challenging " facts in connection with national insurance (was the amount of illness which was due to preventable causes. When they reflected that under the Act they paid nearly £500,000 .a week in sick, pay, it would give them some conception 'of the vast burden of incapacity which lay behind that figure. A year ago they had a test ,and their regional medical staff analysed the medical record cards of 900,000 insured persons, and they found that 20 per cent of their sickness and disablement claims were due to bronchitis, catarrh, and colds; .14 per cent to rheumatism, debility ,or neuralgia; 13 per cent to influenza, and 12 per cent to digestive causes. In other words, practically three-fifths of the great burden of incapacity which afflicted their 15,000,000 insured, persons were due to causes , many of which were susceptible to preventive and curative treatment. One of the most disheartening things, said the speaker, was the large amount of money spent on drugs—something like over £2,000, 000 a year. They were satisfied there was a considerable wastage of money on drugs, and unless there was some diminution it would be necessary for them to make a fresh administration arrangement which would check the expenditure. He was convinced that timely treatment of their members in convalescent homes located in healthy, salubrious environment would be of far more benefit to them than all the drugs m the. British Pharmacopoeia. (Laughter.) Sir Walter said he noticed that the Foresters had a number of resolutions recommending that sickness "benefits should be paid from the first day of incapacity (Cheers). "I am 'sorry you have done that," said Sir Walter. "I am not in favour of payment from the first day of incapacity. 1 have never liked paying benefits for 'Saturday to Monday illnesses. (Laughter.) !