§ Sir K. WOODasked the Secretary to the Local Government Board as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether he is aware that certain doctors on the insurance panel have over 6,000 patients on their panel list and at the same time carry on a private practice; and whether he proposes to take any steps to secure a better provision for medical services to the insured population?
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§ Major ASTORNo, Sir, I am not aware of any case in which an insurance practitioner has a list of over 6,000 insured persons for whose treatment he is responsible single-handed. If my hon. Friend has any such case in mind, perhaps he will be good enough to furnish me with particulars. As regards the second part of the question, preliminary discussions with representatives of the medical profession, preparatory to a general revision of the conditions of medical services for the insured, have been taking place for some time, and careful consideration is being given by the Department to the question of bringing about various improvements in those services.
Sir K. WOOD asked the Secretary to the Local Government Board, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether, with reference to the £250,000 bonus the Insurance Commissioners have agreed to pay to doctors on the panel lists, statutory authority has yet been obtained for such payment; and whether it is contemplated that such payment will be made for the present year only?
§ Major ASTORThe statutory authority in the Appropriation Act, embracing the moneys provided by Parliament under Votes of Credit, covers the payments in question, the necessity for which arose from conditions due to the existence of a state of war. As regards the second part of the question, the payments now being made are in respect of the calendar year 1918 only; no undertaking has been given that similar payments will be made in respect of the year 1919; but financial provision for that contingency will be proposed in the Parliamentary Estimates for 1919–20, shortly to be issued.
§ Sir K. WOODasked the Secretary to the Local Government Board, as representing the National Health Insurance Commissioners, whether he is aware that there has been a serious diminution in the total number of panel doctors taking place continuously since the beginning of the War; if he can state the number of such decrease as on the 1st day of January last; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Major ASTORYes, Sir; it must be remembered that, besides the large numbers of insurance doctors serving with the Forces, the normal diminution of doctors by age retirements from practice 249W and by deaths during the five years have not (as in peace time) been made good by new entrants, because newly qualified doctors have been taken into the Military Forces throughout the period. It is believed that the number of doctors actually carrying on insurance practice in England on 1st October last was some 3,800 less than at the end of the year 1914. My Department have in the last few days had further conference on the subject with the Ministry of National Service, and that Department is in communication with the War Office, who have stated that the Secretary of State is taking steps to expedite the release of doctors from the Army.