MAJORITY REPORT. 
9 
The British Medical Association have submitted in Appendix 
XI/VII a full statement of their policy with regard to hospitals. 
Their attitude, so far as finance is concerned, may be gathered 
from the following quotation :— 
. ““ The Association recognises a dual policy as regards the 
voluntary hospitals ; (a) that the purely charitable side should 
be continued wherein the whole cost of the maintenance of 
indigent patients is met by the gratuitous contributions 
received by the hospital, and on whose behalf the services 
of the honorary medical staffs are given gratuitously; 
(b) that other patients who are not indigent may be received 
for treatment at voluntary hospitals when they cannot pay 
for, or cannot obtain, adequate treatment elsewhere, and 
that, for them, payment should be received by the hospital 
either from the patients themselves or, on their behalf, from 
the authority or body referring them to the hospital, and 
that, on account of their treatment, some method of 
remuneration of the honorary medical staff should be 
arranged.” (App. XL VII, Sub-App. D, paragraph E, 3.) 
The implication is that, in respect of insured persons, payment, 
including an amount for the remuneration of the honorary 
medical staff, should be made by the societies to the hospitals 
On the question of the relationship of the out-patient depart- 
ment to the general practitioner the Association enunciate the 
general principle that the primary object of the out-patient 
department should be for consultation, and that only such treat- 
ment should be given therein as cannot consistently with the 
best interests of the patients be properly undertaken by a general 
practitioner of ordinary professional competence and skill. 
(App. XL\VII, Sub-App. D, paragraph 25.) 
96. The National Association of Trade Union Approved 
Societies have submitted in paragraphs 138-139 of App. XCIIL, 
their policy in regard to hospitals. They contemplate a complete 
system of treatment centres, local or cottage hospitals, county 
hospitals and national hospitals under public control and sup- 
ported by public funds, but ** would give voluntary hospitals the 
option of being taken over by the Health Authorities entirely or 
of receiving grants from public funds conditional on efficiency.” 
“ The Local Health Authority should be represented on the 
Boards of Management, and though remaining on an entirely 
voluntary basis, such hospitals should work in co-operation with 
the public hospital.” 
Provision oF NURSES. 
97. The amount available in 1924 for this additional benefit 
was in England about £152,000, of which, however, only 4 per 
cent., or about £6,000, was spent in the year. Difficulties of 
administration have been encountered, we are told, owing to the