Report of the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1740277147

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-132094

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stationery Office

Year of publication:: 1926

Scope:: XII, 394 S.

Digitisation:: 2020

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Minority report

Collection:: Economics Books

Shy RAN) MINORITY REPORT. APPROVED SOCIETIES. 4. We are in fullest agreement with those statements in the Majority Report which lay stress on the need for linking-up all medical services under Local Authorities, i.e., the County, Town or District Councils. We believe that the only way to deal effectively with the health of the community is by doing away with the overlapping of Authorities, and that efficiency and economy must result from changes which, in the words of a circular recently issued by the Minister of Health are ‘* directed to securing as close as possible an approach to the position that a single Local Authority shall be wholly or mainly responsible for the local administration of its area and co-incidentally for viewing as a whole the finances of local government in the area.’’ This principle has been so cogently argued in the Majority Re- port, that it is unnecessary for us to labour it, but we are unable to find any good reason for making an exception to it in favour of that part of the system of provision for health services which is at present administered by Approved Societies. 5. Until that part of the system is taken out of the hands of Approved Societies and placed in the hands of Local Authorities, we hold that the policy which received the general support of our colleagues, and is being urged by the Minister of Health in application to services at present administered by Boards of Guardians, cannot be applied to its full and proper extent. 6. We take this view because, first, we think that in essence the administration of benefits paid in cash under the National Health Insurance Acts is a health service. These payments are made either (1) When a woman within the present scope of maternity benefit is confined of a child ; or (2) When an insured person becomes and remains in- capable of work owing to illness; or (3) When an insured person who happens to belong to a Society which can provide additional benefits, can show that a payment enabling him to get one of these benefits would be likely to improve his health. 7. If the function of the Approved Society in relation to these types of payment is examined, it will be seen to be as follows :— (1) The interest of the Approved Society in the child- bearing woman begins and ends with handing over to her a lump sum of money. That Tiocal Authorities could make this payment equally well is self-evident. Tt is scarcely less obvious that much more could be done for child-bearing women who need other services directed to safeguarding the health of mothers and infants by T.ocal Authorities, who already administer such services, than by Approved Societies. who have nothing to do with them.

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