Health Centres and Doctors
SIK-1 have waited a week since the publication of Dr. Somerville Hastings' article on health centres in the hope that an abler pen than mine would reply to it. While there is little to argue about in the body of his article (and I do not propose to state the pros and cons now), his last paragraph with its rhetorical questions deserves comment.
To the first question as to whether the Minister of Health can take a more active part in solving the problem, the answer is presumably " Yes," if the Minister feels the time is ripe. The next two questions—" Cannot he [the Minister] use his influence to persuade the doctors to come in?" and "Cannot he make the terms, at any rate in some experimental, centres, really attractive to the doctors "—ace so naïve in a person of Dr. Hastings' knowledge and experience as to be laughable. No one should know better than he the complete lack of confidence felt by the main body of the profession in the Ministry of Health. The seeds of suspicion were sown years ago by a succession of Ministers of varying political cool. plexion and were brought to a triumphant flowering by Mr. Anemia Bevan, who invited us to come in and who, in the opinion of many, not only failed to carry out the terms of service, but by brilliant delaying tactics has so sickened the majority of general practitioners that their work has become a burden instead of a joy. Three years after entering the Service we are still haggling about our pay, and a number of doctors are working the scheme discontentedly because they have burnt their boots and know no other way of earning a living. And this is the Ministry which is invited to offer " really attractive terms."
Finally, in Dr. Hastings' article, comes the suggestion to " import full- time practitioners when the local doctors persistently refuse to co-operate.- Just the tactics of the bloated capitalist ! Underpay the workers and then use blackleg labour!
Apart from the remark that this would seem to be the first step to salaried service (and what a service that would be!) I shall forbear to comment on the proposal. But the wheel has come full circle, indeed, when a member of the Labour Party is able seriously to recommend the use of blacklegs in order to coerce a formerly liberal profession.—
Previous page
