MEDICAL RELIEF AND THE WORKING-CLASSES.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR 1
consequence of your article upon the medical clause of the Registration Act, I beg to furnish you with the following information. The necessity for a provision for the wage-earning .classes on a provident basis, and outside the already overstrained hospital system, has been long apparent, and these measures have been taken to remedy the deficiency.
About a year ago you were good enough to publish a letter upon the subject. Since its commencement, the Metropolitan Provident Medical Association has established eleven provident dispensaries, with a membership of about 25,000 persons ; the annual income from the members is 23,297, and it is hoped that they will become eventually entirely self-supporting. The principles upon which they are conducted are these : —1. Each dispensary, when fairly established, is managed by a local committee of bond-fide members. 2. In all necessary oases, provision is made for medical attendance at the homes of membir.i, without extra payment. 3. Suitable and serious cases are recommended to hospitals. 4. The scales of contribution are,—For single cards, 6d. per month ; man anl wife, 10d. ;
children under fourteen, 2d. per month. Not more than three children are charged for in one family.
The future work of the Association may be described as follows :—To bring Provident Dispensaries in Loudon into connectiou with each other and the branches of the Association, so that members, if removing to another district, may continue their benefits; to establish Provident Dispensaries or Medical Clubs in all working-class districts within the Metropolitan area ; to open communications with general and special hospitals ; to endeavour to aid them in those cases which overcrowd the out-patients' department.
The subject will be considered and discussed at Mr. Mocatta's, 9 Connaught Place, on June 16th, at four o'clock, on which day Mr. Mocatta has kindly permitted a meeting to be convened at his house.—I am, Sir, &c.,
THE TREASURER OF THE PROVIDENT MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,
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