23. Major MILLSasked the Minister of Health on how many occasions the panel doctors have had reductions made in their remuneration since 1921; what was the percentage of each such reduction; and the estimated saving to the Exchequer on each?
Sir H. YOUNGAs the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The capitation fee payable to insurance doctors was, by agreement with the British Medical Association, reduced from 11s. to 9s. 6d. per insured person as from the 1st January, 1922, and, after reference to a court of inquiry, from 9s. 6d. to 9s. as from the 1st January, 1924. The fee of 9s. was made subject to an economy 2013 deduction of 10 per cent., as from the 1st October, 1931. The amount of the saving effected by a reduction of the capitation fee depends necessarily on the number of insured persons entitled to medical benefit, which varies from year to year. The total saving accruing to the National Health Insurance funds of England and Wales in the first year of the first reduction was approximately £995,000, and the saving in the first year of the second reduction was approximately £342,000. The Exchequer proportion of these sums is approximately £221,000 and £76,000 respectively. The whole of the saving effected by the economy deduction of 10 per cent. enures to the benefit of the Exchequer, and the saving in England and Wales in 1932 amounted to approximately £715,000.