§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the case of a telegraph messenger at Cardiff, who attended recently before the Post Office medical officer in that town, and was refused medical treatment on the grounds that the boy had not chosen that official as his panel doctor; and whether, in view of the fact that the lad was under sixteen years of age, he will have inquiry made into the medical service of the Cardiff Post Office?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe boy messenger to whom the question is understood to refer reached the age of sixteen on the 10th of July, 1913, and had chosen to receive medical benefit from that date under the National Insurance Act from a panel doctor insteadof remaining under the Post Office medical system. Through inadvertence, however, the Post Office medical officer was informed that the boy would cease to be under his care as from the 1st of July, and when the boy attended the medical officer's surgery on the evening of the 9th of July he was advised, as it was thought in his own interest, to go to his panel doctor as the medical officer 931W could only treat him as a private patient. The medical officer was in no way to blame for the misunderstanding.
§ Mr. HARRY HOPEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that seasonal workers at Rothesay, Millport, and other Clyde holiday resorts, who did not transfer for medical benefit under the National Insurance Act, were paid for by the Commissioners at a tariff mutually agreed upon between the local medical practitioners and the Scottish Insurance Commissioners up to Friday, 18th July, but that since that date this arrangement has been cancelled by the Commissioners, will he authorise the continuance of this procedure and so enable the local medical practitioners to receive fair remuneration for their services?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The sole question at issue is how best to secure an equitable adjustment of the funds available for the purposes referred to.