§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the refusal to allow panel patients whose doctors have been called up for military service to transfer forthwith to any practitioner who has not agreed to the Protection of Practices Scheme, is involving increasing hardship as more and more practitioners are called up; and whether he will now take steps to restore the original regulations on this subject?
§ Mr. E. BrownI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my predecessor on 30th January, 1941, in which he said that, in view of the very general participation of insurance practitioners in the Protection of Practices Schemes and the importance of safeguarding the interests of practitioners who have undertaken war service, he saw no sufficient reason for action on the lines indicated. I am not aware of any difficulties having arisen since that date which would necessitate any change in the schemes and regulations.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Ministry of Health under what regulation the British Medical Association Protection of Practices Scheme, when operative in the many areas where there exist amended allocation and distribution schemes under the National Health Insurance (Medical Benefit) Regulations, is permitted; and why insurance practitioners are not permitted 578W to absent themselves from their practices for indefinite long periods on the same basis?
§ Mr. BrownAs my hon. Friend was informed on 11th March, 1940, the regulations in question are regulations 3 and 23 of the National Health Insurance (Medical Benefit) Regulations, 1936, and regulation 15 of the same regulations as amended by the National Health Insurance (Medical Benefit) Amendment Regulations (No. 4), 1939. As regards the second part of the Question I do not gather what my hon. Friend has in mind, but I would remind him that there are special considerations which apply only where a practitioner is absent from his practice on National Service.