§ 107. Mr. CURRIEasked the Comptroller of the Household whether cases exist in England and Scotland of panel doctors whose panel consists of less than half a dozen persons; what total remuneration is payable to such doctors; whether his attention has been drawn to the case of a panel doctor in Edinburgh who received £76 14s. 2d. sterling for the solitary patient on his panel, who required no medical attendance whatever from one end of the year to the other; whether the amount paid to this doctor was in any way subject to the control or discretion of the Commissioners in Scotland or whether, under the Act, they had no option but to sanction the payment?
Mr. ROBERTSSuch cases as are referred to in the first part of the question no doubt exist, though I have no precise information on the point. The remuneration of a doctor under the capitation system is governed by the terms of his agreement with the insurance committee, and includes not only his liability in respect of the persons actually on his list, but also the responsibility which he undertakes in common with other doctors on the panel for giving treatment to persons who have not selected a doctor for themselves. The payment made in the specific case referred to under the agreement entered into at the beginning of the year covered this liability.