Page 5 Advertisements Column 5

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1938, Page 5

British Medical Association NEW ZEALAND BRANCH STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC on the Medical Provisions of the Social Security Act • 1. The medical profession in New Zealand favours health insurance for those needing it, Il has repeatedly offered and is still ready to co-operate with the Government in working a scheme of more practical value than any operating elsewhere. 2. The Government’s scheme is wrong in principle because it meets neither the general health requirements of the people nor their special needs in sickness. 3. By standardising the work and prospects of the doctors, the Government’s proposals would reduce the level of the profession to that of its least efficient member. 4. Over 95 per cent of the doctors in New Zealand are opposed to the Government’s scheme, 5. The British Medical Association in England is strongly against the New Zealand scheme, has voluntarily offered full moral and financial support and has sent a preliminary contribution of £5OO to help the Branch to oppose the scheme. 6. National Health Insurance in England is entirely different from the New Zealand Government’s scheme both in its method of finance and in those for whom it provides medical attention. 7. No recognised medical authority anywhere in the world is in favour of the New Zealand scheme. 8. There can be no reason for the inclusion in the scheme of those not in need of it except a political objective, 9. The Government’s proposals must have the ultimate effect of concentrating specialist and consultant treatment in the public hospitals. Private specialists tvould soon be eliminated. Only lower grade specialist services limited to salaried hospital officers would be available. 10. The Association’s objections have not been due to financial considerations. 11. The Government’s proposals would deny the people complete freedom and would lead to the regimentation of the profession with loss of professional freedom and initiative and to control by state departments—in other words the complete socialisation of medica I practice, 12. Whatever happens, the profession assures the public that it will continue to operate the full existing medical