40. Mr. NEWDEGATEasked whether panel doctors are not required by the Insurance Act to pay a visit to a patient at his or her own house, however ill that patient may be, during any twenty-four hours, if not requested to do so before 10 a.m.; and whether this Regulation has been made owing to the immense load of work placed, in many cases, on panel doctors?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The rule to which he apparently refers requires the insured person to give notice to the doctor before some time, fixed by the committee, in the morning of the day on which the visit is required, if, but only if, the circumstances of the case permit. The rule therefore obviously does not apply to a case of urgency such as the hon. Member has in mind.
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is exactly the same condition as in ordinary private practice at the present time. The doctor fixes certain times of attendance for his ordinary patients, but he is also compelled to attend cases of urgency where such notice could not be given.
§ Mr. MASTERMANWhat happens now? The whole object is to assimilate the conditions to those of ordinary private practice, and that is what is being done.
42. Mr. F. HALLasked for the number of persons who have been placed on 990 medical panels by insurance committees who are not qualified medical practitioners of Great Britain or Ireland; and the number who have no recognised medical qualifications at all?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs I have stated on many previous occasions, duly qualified medical practitioners alone have the right to be included in a panel list. A duly qualified medical practitioner means a person registered under the Medical Acts, and these Acts entitle persons holding foreign diplomas which are recognised by the General Medical Council to be registered without examination.
Mr. F. HALLIs it not a fact that sufficient doctors have not gone on the panel, seeing that in some cases 6,000 cases have to be attended to by one doctor, and does the right hon. Gentleman think in those instances the insured persons would be receiving sufficient care and attention?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIn the case the hon. Member refers to all the doctors who are there are on the panel. The whole districts in these cases have been very much under-doctored, and I hope new doctors starting practice will come into these districts.
Mr. F. HALLIs the right hon. Gentleman not under a misapprehension in assuming that all the doctors in these districts are on the panel?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI do not know what district the hon. Member refers to. We are going to have a debate on this subject to-morrow night, and then I think I may be able to give the hon. Member some facts.