DOCTORS AND PATIENTS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOE."1
SIR,—Your correspondent of last week, Mr. Eustace Barton, put in a word of common sense. Has not the time arrived to review the position as it is ? Mr. Lloyd George originally proposed remuneration which the doctors considered quite inadequate, and they at Once took combined action to secure more money. The Chancellor, after considerable discussion, announced terms which were roughly fifty per cent. better for the doctors, involving an additional expenditure of about one and a half millions of public money, and since this met no serious opposition from the taxpayer, it is, I think, fair to assume the man in the street approved— he thought substantial justice had been done. The Act is now the law of the land, and until it is altered by Unionists or other successors of the present Government surely the duty of all is to help to its smooth working—there are 15,000 doctors on the panels, each of whom, once there, naturally wants as many of the patients as possible. Won't they all aim to secure the confidence of the patient in the same manner as they inspire it amongst the rest of the community—by deserving it!' I venture to suggest that if we leave the doctors and patients to work together on this nonparty measure for the tentative period agreed upon, the task of mending and amending will be far easier for those upon whom the task may devolve, and meantime any influence in the direction of lessening " feeling " won't hurt
the patients.—I am, Sir, &c., HENRY T. TREGLOWN. Rosetoorthy, Harrow Road, Wembley.
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