HC Deb 29 July 1925 vol 187 cc429-30
56 and 57. Mr. MELLER

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the present procedure for appointing the chairmen of the medical service, the pharmaceutical service, and the joint services sub-committees of an insurance committee; whether such procedure has worked effectively since the inception of the National Health Insurance Act; and whether he has received any request from an insurance committee for amending the present Regulations;

(2) whether he has received from the insurance committee for the county of London a representation protesting against the National Health Insurance (Medical Benefit) Amendment Regulations (No. 2), 1925, which provides for the appointment of the chairman of the medical service sub-committee by the Minister of Health failing the unanimous vote of the sub-committee, and that such member may not be a member of the insurance committee: and what action he proposes to take thereon?

Sir K. WOOD

Under the previous Regulations the chairman of the medical service sub-committee was required to be elected by the approved society representatives on the sub-committee and the medical practitioners appointed to be members of it, or in default of any selection by them by the neutral members of the insurance committee. No request for an amendment of the Regulations has been received from any insurance committee, but, in London, failure to find a chairman commanding the confidence of both parties led to the withdrawal of the medical representatives, and the machinery for the investigation of complaints was brought to a standstill. A similar situation has arisen recently in Southampton. The amending Regulations of July, 1925, arose out of the difficulty in London, and represented a settlement which my right hon. Friend understood to be acceptable to both parties to the dispute. My right hon. Friend has recently received representations from the London Insurance Committee against the new Regulations, but he can see no other method of pre venting the recurrence in future of a deadlock which is prejudicial to the administration of medical benefit and to the interests of insured persons.