§ Sir L. Lyleasked the Minister of Health whether he will, in consultation with the Departments concerned, investigate the possibility of forming a pool of medical men attached to the Services in any particular area in this country to ensure that the number is kept at a minimum and their time and experience fully utilised?
§ Mr. WillinkI understand that a suggestion for pooling medical officers of the Services has already been explored by the Medical Personnel (Priority) Committee presided over by the hon. Baronet, the Member for Norwich (Sir G. Shakespeare). The Committee recommended that co-operation between the medical departments of the three Services, already carried out to a considerable extent, should be developed to the highest possible degree, but they felt that complete pooling such as my hon. Friend suggests would not be practicable.
§ Sir L. Lyleasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that owing to the calling up of doctors engaged in practice among civilians there is increasing difficulty in securing medical attention, especially when Government war enterprise requiring labour are brought into any district; whether he can give an assurance that present arrangements would be adequate to deal with an epidemic; and whether he will arrange for the co-operation of Service doctors stationed in the area, but at present relatively unoccupied, to assist in civilian work?
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§ Mr. WillinkI am afraid that the necessity of supplying the Forces with the doctors which they require must in certain areas cause some inconvenience to the public, although every effort to mitigate this is made in selecting the individual doctors for recruitment and in any case arrangements are ma de to secure that essential medical attention will be available. As to the second and third parts of the Question, my right hon. Friends the Service Ministers have always been ready to give what help they can from their medical departments and I am glad to say that in the present epidemic they are co-operating in special arrangements under which their medical officers will give as much help as their essential Service duties permit to general practitioners, factory doctors and hospitals in urgent need. Medical officers of health are being asked to take the initiative in putting into operation the arrangements affecting general practitioners and factory doctors. Doctors requiring help will apply in the first instance to the secretary of the local medical war committee. The corresponding applications from hospitals will be made to the hospital officers.