124 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
given in respect of the insurance contribution stops short just 
where the need is greatest. In the serious and expensive cases 
the insured person is thrown back on his own resources or on the 
limited provision made by the general hospitals. 
2692. We feel very strongly that the completion of one, and that 
a highly important, element ought to take precedence over the 
introduction of new elements, however desirable in themselves 
the latter may be. 
We have indicated in Chapter IX a financial method by 
which a generous provision of expert out-patient services can be 
made available without entrenching on the margin in the present 
contribution disclosed in Chapter VII, which margin we propose 
(as will be seen in Chapter XI) should be applied in another 
important direction. This method of providing the necessary 
funds has, as we consider, the additional merit that it at the same 
time reduces that disparity of resources between the various 
Societies which has evoked adverse criticism in so many quarters. 
But whether the cost of an extended medical benefit is met in 
this or in some other way, such extension should, as we have said, 
receive first and immediate consideration. Without it, indeed, 
the limitations of medical benefit remain the most obvious weak- 
ness in the whole scheme of benefits under National Health 
Tnsurance. 
THE CONTENT OF AN EXTENDED MEDICAL BENEFIT. 
263. What, then, should be the content of this extended medical 
benefit which is to be available for all insured persons until such 
time, whether near or remote, as a more comprehensive system 
of health service is evolved? The following should, we think, 
be provided in addition to the general practitioner treatment of 
the present contract :— 
(1) Expert medical advice and treatment for patients who 
can travel to meet the specialist. 
(2) Expert advice for persons who are unable to travel. 
(8) Laboratory services. 
These elements may be briefly described as ** expert out-patient 
services ''—a definition which is intended to cover all the out- 
patient services which specialists give as a class, including, for 
example. ophthalmic diagnosis and prescription of glasses. 
THE PROBLEM OF IN-PATIENT TREATMENT IN HoSPITALS. 
964. We have not included in-patient treatment in hospitals 
for a variety of reasons, though that also would form part of a 
really complete medical service. Under present conditions we 
must very largely be guided by considerations of cost, and that 
for in-patient treatment would be very heavy, involving not