§ Mr. HENRY TERRELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an insured person who is in sickness attended by a doctor not on the panel is entitled to receive free medicine?
Mr. MASTER MANNo, Sir. It is impossible to require chemists on the panel, whose remuneration is based on a capitation system, and accordingly limited to the sum available, to supply medicine to an unlimited extent on the prescriptions of doctors who have not, like those on the panel, a collective responsibility with regard to the arrangements made for medical benefit in the area.
§ Mr. HENRY TERRELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a local insurance authority is bound to accept the certificate of a doctor not on the panel as evidence of the right of insured persons to receive sickness benefit as defined by Section 8 (c) of the National Insurance Act?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs. I have previously stated in reply to similar questions, the insurance committees, to which I presume the hon. Member refers, are not concerned with the administration of sickness benefit for members of approved societies. The question of requiring satisfactory evidence of sickness, whether by certificates or otherwise, depends upon the rules of the approved society, subject to appeal to the Insurance Commission under Section 67 of the Act.