FOR THE WHOLE NATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1041, 4 August 1930, Page 10

FOR THE WHOLE NATION

GREAT MEDICAL SCHEME PROPOSED FAR-REACHING DECISIONS Spedal to THE SL'.V WELLINGTON, Today. At its annual meeting in England a fortnight ago the British Medical Association endorsed a scheme for the establishment of a general medical service for the whole nation, according to advice which has been received in Wellington. Local officers of the British Medical Association learned of the far-reach-ing decisions made by the association with some surprise, though, stated Mr H. M. Gore, secretary of the New Zealand brunch of the British Medical Association, tho question had been talked of for some time, and ffroposals were made that the British population should be divided into groups according to 4heir ability to pay.

Tho principles of the scheme, as far as is known in the Dominion, are that medical service, in preventive as well as curative medicine, shall be available to everyone, auu that the medical benefits of the present national health insurance scheme in operation in the Mother Country shall be extended to cover all dependents of persons insured under it. The new system, which has been approved by the British Medical Association, is founded upon the family physician, who is recognised as tho basis of any facilities which may be e-xteivled. It is held that, operated upon ine contributory system, the plan now advanced should be largely self-support-ing. The British Medical Association now intends to urge upon the British Government the necessity of extending the provisions of the present Health Insurance Acts in order to make possible such a system a.? the one which has been endorsed by the medical profession after careful investigation.