MAJORITY REPORT.

135

TEI AG

sons per annum. The highest figure suggested was about £10
per 1,000. The estimated cost for England and Wales may
therefore be taken at about £100,000. (Smith Whitaker, Q.
24.018.)

(GENERAL SUMMARY OF COST.

206. Bringing together the estimates above stated under the
three main heads it will be seen that the maximum annual cost
of a scheme of expert out-patient services such as we have outlined,
 including all the work for a population of 13,500,000, is
as follows :—

Specialist services '... ie
Bedside consultations
Laboratory aids ... A

eos ... £1,290,000

&
940,000
250,000
100,000

Total

297. These, we are informed, are outside figures in each case,
and it is not probable that, even if reached eventually they are
likely to be attained for some years after the commencement of
the scheme. The financial aspect of the problem is summed up
in Mr. Brock’s answer to Q. 23,830 : ** Such a service, we think,
could be organised at a cost—I am putting it very roughly—of
2s. per head if you include provision for domiciliary attendance.”’
298. It should be noted that these estimates are for the insured
population of England and Wales, viz., 13,500,000. We have
received estimates for the corresponding Scottish problem which
are in fair agreement, though somewhat lower for the same types
of service. For a provision of specialist and consultant services,
Including institutional treatment but not including convalescent
and dental treatment, the estimate of the Scottish Board of
Health is from 2s. 9d. to 3s. per insured person per annum.
(Leishman, Q. 24,334.)
299. In conclusion, then, we consider that an extension of
medical benefit on the particular lines we have described could
be provided for the whole of Great Britain, with its insured
Population of about 15 millions, at a cost (taking the maximum
figures suggested to us) of about £1} million a year. This is
Not a large sum in insurance finance. We are convinced that
the results in the way of extending the scope of the medical
diagnosis and treatment which the insured persons at present
receive, and of spreading expert knowledge and modern methods
among the general practitioners themselves, would fully
Justify the expenditure. As we have said, the money
can be obtained by such a scheme of pooling as we have
Proposed. Accordingly we recommend that this addition be
made available to all insured persons as an integral part of
Medical’ benefit under the Insurance Scheme.