§ 25. Lord NINIAN CRICHTON-STUARTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state if he is aware that Mr. Merry, of 113, Cyfarthfa Street, Roath, Cardiff, having moved from Canton, Cardiff, to the above address, has been, since his removal, unable to get the services of a panel doctor; and, seeing that his several applications to the Welsh Commissioners of the National Insurance Act have been productive of no satisfactory answer, whether he will state the reason of this state of affairs?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN (Lord of the Treasury)My right hon. Friend is informed that the Welsh Insurance Commissioners cannot trace the receipt of any communication from the insured person referred to. It is understood that he was on a doctor's list prior to his removal, and that arrangements have now been made for his transfer to another doctor's list. It was open to him to obtain treatment at any time from the doctor on whose list he was first placed, or to make a fresh choice of doctor by means of his medical card in the district of his new residence.
§ 32. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what provision is made for change of doctor in the case where an insured person moves from one place to another; and, if notice is given on the day of removal, say from one part of London to another, how long a time should elapse before an insured person is given another doctor in his or her new domicile?
§ Mr. W. BENNA fresh choice of doctor is exercised, in the circumstances referred to, by means of the medical card already in the insured person's possession. The card sets out clearly the steps to be taken by the insured person for this purpose, and no delay need occur.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIf and when an insured person has adopted all the necessary requirements to which the hon. Gentleman has called my attention, will he consider the question whether a month or six weeks is too long before A or B should be provided with a doctor?
§ Mr. W. BENNIf the insured person has his medical card, all he has to do is to show it to the doctor, and he will receive immediate attention.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWhere the person has moved to another part of London, say seven or eight miles away from his original residence, how can he go to the original doctor?
§ Mr. W. BENNIn that case the insured person would go to another doctor on the list, and send in his card, the second Part B, and he will receive immediate attention.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEBut—
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is of no use the hon. Member shrugging his shoulders at me.
§ 65. Lord NINIAN CRICHTON-STUARTasked whether any application for a water mattress was made to the Welsh Commissioners, under the National Insurance Act, in the case of the late Charles Overton, of 21, Commercial Street, Blaenllechan, Rhondda, South Wales; if so, why this was not supplied; and whether the cause of death was cystitis and exhaustion from bed sores?
§ Mr. W. BENNThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the article referred to is not included in the list of prescribed appliances which is scheduled to the medical benefit regulations, and an Insurance Committee has therefore no power to supply it.
§ Lord N. CRICHTON-STUARTWill the hon. Gentleman consider the question of supplying some of these appliances to the districts where a very large number of accidents necessitate their use?
§ Mr. W. BENNI am afraid it would be impossible to add very expensive appliances of this kind to the schedule of the medical regulations.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIs it not a fact that this insured person died because of the inadequacy of the treatment received under the Act?
§ Mr. W. BENNNo; That suggestion is absolutely unfounded. The water mattress was not supplied because it was not scheduled, and it cannot be scheduled on account of the expense.