§ 30. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services wheher his attention has been called to a recent case in which an unqualified man was permitted to act as a doctor at Long Grove Hospital; and whether he will order a full inquiry into the circumstances.
§ Sir K. JosephI have only recently become aware of all the details of this case and am making urgent inquiries to see what further guidance I might give to hospital authorities.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs my right hon. Friend aware of the great concern locally that patients can be treated in a State hospital by a man who is not a doctor? Will he give careful consideration to the proposals put forward by the chairman of the local management committee as to a system under which doctors from 1162 overseas will be able to identify themselves as such?
§ Sir K. JosephYes, certainly; but my right hon. Friend may not fully realise that the imposter used forged documents identifying him as a genuine doctor whose name appeared in the medical directory. I am having to study the implications very carefully.
§ Dr. SummerskillWill the right hon. Gentleman nevertheless bear in mind that without immigrant doctors our National Health Service could not survive? Apart from this particular case, it is essential that people coming to this country should have their qualifications carefully checked, particularly with regard to forgery.
§ Sir K. JosephI do not think that either my right hon. Friend or anybody in the neighbourhood was making any point about immigrant doctors as such. The point is that this man was not a doctor.