§ 62. Mr. P. A. HARRISasked the Minister of National Service whether he is aware that in the medical examinations of men which are now proceeding complaints are continually being made of the cursory and inadequate nature of the examination; that men are not afforded any opportunity of stating the maladies or defects from which they suffer or of giving any information as to their health; and that certificates of specialists or of their medical attendants produced by the examinees are frequently ignored; and whether he will issue instructions that all these matters shall in future receive proper and adequate attention?
§ Mr. BECKCertain complaints of cursory and inadequate examination by National Service medical boards have been made. They have been comparatively few, and on investigation have generally proved not to be well founded. Under the sectional method of examination adequate time must necessarily be devoted to the examination of each man. Great care is taken under instructions issued by the Ministry to take into consideration any information given to the Board, either in the form of medical certificates or verbally, by the men themselves. Moreover, any man who is dissatisfied has a right to lodge an application with the Appeal Tribunal for examination by medical assessors of the Local Government Board. It is not necessary to state that I am grateful at having any cases of hardship brought to my notice. All such cases are fully investigated.
§ Mr. HARRISIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the fifteen minutes which used to be devoted to the medical examination of each man has now been reduced to seven minutes?
§ Mr. HARCOURTAre they bound to take into account the certificates of private practitioners?
§ Mr. BECKMost explicit instructions to that effect are issued, and every medical board I have seen personally has a notice up asking men to produce any medical certificates that they bring with them.
§ Mr. MORRELLAre they included in the hurried and sketchy instructions the hon. Gentleman told us of yesterday?
§ Mr. BECKI did not say anything of the kind. Our instructions are most elaborate and are published. The hon. Member asked for all the instructions of the most formal character issued by the Director of Medical Services. Some of those are very slight in character, being in the nature of one or two-line communications dealing with most trivia] matters. That was what I referred to.
§ Mr. FRANCEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the number of appeals has increased enormously since this change has been made in the medical board?
§ Mr. BECKI do not think that the percentage of appeals has been increased, but the number of appeals has increased because of the enormous number of men called to the Colours.