HC Deb 22 July 1954 vol 530 cc1535-6
7. Mr. John Hall

asked the Minister of Health if in view of the conflict of opinion between the British Medical Association and the Central Health Service Council's Committee on the question of the free issue of medicines and drugs to private patients, he will make a statement.

Miss Hornsby-Smith

In the present situation my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in proposing any amendment of the National Health Service Acts in this matter.

Mr. Hall

Is my hon. Friend aware that, quite apart from the B.M.A., the medical members of the committee which published this report also dissociate themselves from this part of the report, which denies to private patients the same rights to receive medicine under the National Health Service Act as are given to others? Does she not think it unjust that a citizen should be denied the right to a service for which he has paid?

Miss Hornsby-Smith

I think my hon. Friend is misinformed. The report of the Committee on General Practice was unanimous; 19 of the 23 members were medical practitioners and 11 of those 19 were general medical practitioners. The particular difficulty in any suggestion of this kind is that of trying to exercise any proper control over excessive prescribing if doctors are not also providing general medical services.