§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in a district within 10 miles of London Bridge, which 621W is now an official evacuation area because of enemy action, out of the original quota of 57 medical men 53 still remain; and whether he will make arrangements that the services of these doctors are better employed?
§ Mr. E. BrownIf my hon. Friend will supply me with the name of the area I will consider the matter.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that owing to war conditions the position of a large proportion of the medical practitioners is precarious; and whether he will consider a scheme whereby medical practitioners in evacuation areas can be transferred to the centres to which citizens are transferred?
§ Mr. BrownIn a number of cases the transfer to reception areas of general practitioners who had become surplus to the requirements of evacuation areas was arranged by the Central Medical War Committee during the earlier part of the war. Some medical officers of local authorities were similarly transferred in connection with the Government evacuation scheme, and hospital staffs have in many cases been transferred from inner to outer hospitals under the emergency hospital scheme. My hon. Friend will appreciate that there are serious difficulties in the transfer otherwise than by agreement between them of practitioners from one practice to another, owing to the personal nature of the services rendered and the difficult financial problems involved.