HEALTH INSURANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 11

HEALTH INSURANCE

DOCTORS OPPOSE AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. WELLINGTON, Feb. 7. The proposed partial health insurance scheme which the Federal Government proposes to institute in Australia does not find favour with ths Australian section of the British Medical Association, accoiding to Dr. R. V. Bretherton, a North Sydnej nractitioner, who arrived at Wellington in the cruise liner Oronsay. He said that the Australian doctors believed the proposed scheme would not only be bad for the medical profession, but would also lessen the value of the medical sendee received by the public. 'We feel that we are being made public servants with all the obligations and none of the advantages of that service.” he said. “For instance, there is no provision tor holidays. The profession generally feels that complete socialisation, which I understand the New Zealand Government proposed to introduce, would be better than what we are being offered in Australia because we would then at least know where we stood.” Dr. Bretherton said that rates of pay and other conditions had been investigated by a Royal Commission set up to deal with objections, made by the medical profession to the scheme. The findings of the Commission had been held up by the death of the chairman, but would be available soon. They were being awaited with interest because even the revised scale of payment that had been offered by the Government since the Commission was set up would mean generally a reduction in the doctor’s earnings. Dr. Bretherton is accompanied by his wife, his daughter. Miss E. Bretherton, and his young son.