§ 33. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many doctors and dentists, respectively, have been found guilty of offences within the National Health Service in each of the past five years; and whether he will take steps to ensure that full publicity is given to the names of such offenders.
§ Mr. J. StuartSince July, 1948, two doctors and four dentists in Scotland have been excluded from practice in the National Health Service. Sums of money have been withheld from remuneration on 44 occasions involving 43 doctors, and on 148 occasions involving 92 dentists, in respect of breaches of their terms of service. I will circulate yearly figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Full publicity is given to cases involving exclusion from practice, but it would not as a rule be fair to the practitioner or in the public interest to publish names in other cases.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the Minister give a reason for that? Is there any good reason why the name of a doctor or dentist who in effect is sabotaging the National Health Service ought not to be given full publicity in the national Press?
§ Mr. StuartIf the confidence in the doctor or dentist is not retained he is excluded from the Service and the name is published, but I do not think that in other cases it would be right to do that
| — | 1948 (from 5th July) | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 (to 30th September) | ||
| Doctors | … | … | — | — | 4 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 3 |
| Dentists | … | … | — | 7 | 18 | 50 | 43 | 22 | 8 |