National Health Service : The Government's Policy (White Paper)
1944-01-03 1944 1940s 5 pages -5- Contracts will be thus three party. The Board will also regulate the general distribution of public medical practice, with power of veto against refilling of any recent practice, and arrangement for introduction of new doctors as well as regulating (as mentioned)...
| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
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| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
1 March 1944
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/1811CEB5-27E7-4292-8CEC-0C8E56158C25 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/3002AB5B-F691-4726-A4DE-386C8E2F894E |
| Summary: | 1944-01-03
1944
1940s
5 pages
-5- Contracts will be thus three party. The Board will also regulate the general distribution of public medical practice, with power of veto against refilling of any recent practice, and arrangement for introduction of new doctors as well as regulating (as mentioned) terms and conditions of service. The aim is not to establish a full time State Medical Service but to allow under regulation all types of medical service considered suitable or advisable. Private medical practice will still be allowed. If the selling value of existing medical practices are affected, compensation will be paid. And similarly the supply of drugs and appliances will have to be supervised to a greater extent than at present. SCOTLAND The Scottish Health Service because of conditions special to Scotland will differ from the English and Welsh administration in many respects. HEALTH CENTRES - (their provision and maintenance) will be the central responsibility of the Scottish Health Department (and so the Secretary of State for Scotland) with power to delegate authority to a local authority if considered desirable, after an initial experimental period. CONCLUSION Briefly the Government policy as announced is a great step forward, but is not a comprehensive Health National Service. Medical Research is left out of its provisions. Interdepartmental co-operation and linkage for a National policy on food, nutrition, milk, housing and water supply so vitally necessary - is not mentioned. The social and environmental side of a good National Health Service is sidetracked. Industrial Medicine is only casually mentioned as a speciality. The education of the public in health matters under a democratic body is not stressed. The whole service is overstressed on its medical side. Good conditions and remuneration for all ancillary services from nurses of all types and health visitors to hospital attendants and workers of other necessary grades are barely referred to in the White Paper. The policy is a compromise policy though a good step in advance. The hospital system is still dual. The voluntary hospital is being left to die from inanition for lack of financial support or of contributory schemes after struggling for years. The medical service is still disjointed. Public representation on central administrative bodies receive scant notice. But the step forward if seized by Trade Unionists is in the right direction. HBM/EM/1.3.44.
292/847/2/97 |
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |