§ 58. Mr. B. SMITHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a medical referee under the Workmen's Compensation Acts who is also on the staff of a voluntary hospital is not permitted to give a report on a case under his care at that hospital and, if so, whether, seeing that this might involve injustice to the patient examined, as no other doctor can know as much of the case, he will consider the advisability of withdrawing the instruction or Regulation?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson)There is no specific Home Office instruction or regulation which prevents the doctor in such a case giving the workman or the employer a report on the condition r f the workman, but if a referee is employed in any case by or on behalf of either party, he is precluded by the Statute from acting subsequently as referee in that case. It is also generally undesirable that referees should act for either party in compensation cases, especially cases which are the subject of dispute. My right hon. Friend will, however, consider the matter further in the light of the hon. Member's representation, and if he has any particular cases in mind, the Home Secretary would be glad to be furnished with the details.