§ Mr. D. GRAHAMasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that a letter has been sent to the insurance committee of the burgh of Glasgow, from the Department of Health for Scotland, to the effect that medical practitioners are signing certificates entitling persons to payment of health insurance benefit who are sufficiently recovered from their incapacity to enable them to resume their ordinary employment; whether this letter was issued by his authority; and, if so, will he state the grounds upon which it was sent?
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§ Sir G. COLLINS:In the ordinary course of administration an annual circular letter on the subject of the issue of certificates of incapacity for work to insured persons was recently sent by the Department of Health for Scotland to each insurance committee in Scotland. With the letter were enclosed statistics showing (1) the extent to which such certificates had been issued during the year ended 30th June, 1932, by each insurance practitioner in the insurance committee's area and (2) the results of re-examinations by the Department's regional medical officers of insured persons to whom certificates of incapacity had been issued. The letter, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member, asked insurance committees to inquire into the problems presented by the statistics both as regards their area as a whole and in respect of individual practices, and called attention to the importance of correct certification and to the unfortunate results accruing from laxity in this respect.
§ Mr. GRAHAMasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that regional medical officers in the employment of the Department of Health are in the habit of recommending disallowance of health insurance benefit in cases of persons who have not fully recovered from their illness but who are described as being fit for some form of light employment; and will be state the number of persons whose benefit has been stopped on this ground during the years 1931 and 1932?
§ Sir G. COLLINS:It is not the function of the regional medical officers of the Department of Health for Scotland to make any recommendation with regard to the stoppage of National Health Insurance benefit in the case of insured persons who have been examined by them, and in no case do they do so. The duty of these officers is to furnish the insured person's approved society with an opinion as to his capacity for work. The decision as to the continuance or stoppage of benefit rests with the approved society, from whose decision the insured person has a right of appeal. I have no information regarding the matter referred to in the latter part of the question.