HC Deb 08 August 1940 vol 364 cc439-40W
Mr. Groves

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give now a definite ruling as to the steps to be taken by a person injured in an air raid and treated by a local practitioner in order to secure a certificate entitling such person to free treatment rather than require any person who might experience difficulty, to report the facts to his Department or his local senior regional officer inasmuch as any delay might occasion serious inconvenience and possible impairment in health?

Mr. M. MacDonald

As stated in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 2nd July, any such case is likely to be exceptional, and I do not think it necessary to take the action he suggests.

Mr. Groves

asked the Minister of Health what special experience the local medical war committees possess which qualifies them to express any helpful opinion or advice on medical staff and arrangements in hospitals within the emergency scheme?

Mr. MacDonald

The constitution of local medical war committees provides that there shall be two representatives of the medical staff of the hospitals, both voluntary and municipal, in the area concerned. In provincial centres where there is a medical school, there are two additional representatives of the hospital staffs connected with the school. The function of a local medical war committee in relation to the staffs of hospitals in the London area are performed by the Committee of Reference which consists entirely of members of hospital staffs.