CAUTION URGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1940, Page 7

CAUTION URGED

ATTITUDE OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. PALMERSTON N„ December 3. The attitude of the medical profession of the Dominion toward the proposed introduction in January of a general practitioner service under the Social Security Act was expressed today by Dr. J. P. S. Jamieson, chairman of the National Health Insurance Committee of the British Medical Association. "At the present lime the less said about a free universal general practioner service the better,” said Dr. Jamieson. "Having brought the greater part of the Social Security Act into operation with a minimum of delay the Government should not be criticised for caution in introducing this portion of the provisions of the Act. This is specially so as it would appear that the full amount at least of the tax collected is already being paid out.” Having emphasised the heavy calls now being made upon members of the medical profession in war and civilian service. Dr. Jamieson added: "We have urged, therefore, that further consideration of this matter should be deferred till the conclusion of war and demobilisation. The profession continues to exercise its long-accorded privilege of working as long and as hard as ever it can without anybody minding, and feels that it may rely on the good sense of the people not to embarras the Government or to harass the profession by a demand for a kind of change which is impracticable."