MINORITY REPORT. 
31 2 
(8) General practitioner clinics. 
(4) Laboratory services. 
‘%' Nursing for insured persons. 
‘€) Health lectures. (App. CIII.) 
65. In our view the extension proposed will still leave out of 
medical benefit services which the evidence has shown would 
tend both to prevent sickness and to effect a speedier and more 
complete cure of the insured person. 
66. As both these results are not only desirable in themselves, 
but would be accompanied by economy of expenditure on cash 
benefits, we submit that the provision of a complete medical 
and treatment service should not depend for its financing 
entirely upon current contributions. We agree with our col- 
leagues that ‘‘ considering the beneficial results on the health 
of the insured community which ought to follow from the medical 
service provided by the Act . . . . it is not unreasonable 
to look for improved conditions so far as the claims are con- 
cerned.’’.. (para. 177.) 
67. The experience of administering the insurance medical 
service gained since 1912, which has made practicable many 
desirable developments impossible at the inception of the 
Scheme, should enable an estimate to be made of the future 
effect of a considerable extension of that service upon expendi- 
ture on cash benefits. In other words, the loading for actuarial 
safety of the cost of cash benefits should be affected by the kind 
and extent of preventive and curative services available for the 
insured population. The following extract from the evidence 
affords an example in relation to dental benefit merely. 
“ . . . . I think the experience of those Societies that 
have provided dental treatment . . . . does give ground 
for hoping that systematic dental treatment would lead ulti- 
mately to a reduction of sickness benefit claims . . 
(Brock, Q. 23,914.) 
68. The National Conference of Friendly Societies (App. 
XXVI), the National Association of Trade Union Approved 
Societies (App. XCII), the British Medical Association 
(App. XL/VII, 20) and other organisations are unanimous in 
advocating great extensions of medical benefit. 
69. As to the desirability of including dental advice and treat- 
ment within the range of medical benefit, it was stated by a 
Departmental witness that ‘ something like three-quarters of 
the industrial population probably are suffering from dental 
defects of one sort of another.”’ (Brock, Q. 23.914.) 
70. We therefore recommend that medical benefit, extended 
as recommended in the Majority Report, should be further 
B47 0 
{+ 
i; * 
aE