Summary of the Bill introduced into Parliament, by F. Pigott, Esq., M.P., entitled An Act for the better regulation of medical relief to the poorer classes in England and Wales, &c., &c., &c. : with a commentary thereon, and a letter to members of the legislature / by Richard Griffin.

  • Griffin, Richard, 1806-1869.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Summary of the Bill introduced into Parliament, by F. Pigott, Esq., M.P., entitled An Act for the better regulation of medical relief to the poorer classes in England and Wales, &c., &c., &c. : with a commentary thereon, and a letter to members of the legislature / by Richard Griffin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    candidate, -well-fitted for a Union Officer, may, from peculiar circumstances, be willing to accept it for an inadequate salary; but even he will probably, after a short time, become dissatisfied and will desire to transfer his services to some other Union, or to seek some other employment. The correctness of this minute is proved by the fact that during the last five years, 1,418 Medical Officers have resigned their appointments. By the Bill now before the House, the Medical Officers ask but 2s. 6d. for each ordinary case of illness, where the Guardians find the medicines, or 3s. 6d. where the Medical Officers find them. The acreage at one penny per acre will certainly add 2s. 2d. as an average payment for each case, but of this the Medical Officers of Town Districts will receive next to nothing. These sums added together will realize an average payment of 4s. 8d. per ease, when the Guardians find the medicines, and 5s. 8d. when the Medical Officers find them ; a sum actually less than that which was recommended by the Poor Law Com- missioners in 1839, (see page 17,) as they recommended 6s. or 6s. 6d. per case for paupers in rural districts, and an amount not to exceed 10s. for those not on the pauper list, with extra fees for Midwifery and Surgical Operations. A new Table of Fees will probably increase the Extras by one-third, and thus give an additional average payment of 9d. per case. As a question will naturally arise as to the expense to be entailed on the Nation by the proposed Bill, I here give that part relative to Medical Eelief as nearly as it can be ascertained, the calculations having been made on the Eetium moved for by Lord Elcho, and laid before Pai-liament in 1857 :— For 1,346,947 cases of illness, at 2s. 6d. each £168,368 For acreage I'd. per acre 146,210 Visits at tbe workhouses, say 11,000 This it is proposed to be a charge on the County Bate. £325,578 Cost of Medicines, or Dispensaries, at Is. each case of illness.. £67,347 This it is proposed shaU. be a charge on the Consolidated Fimd. Cost of Extra Medical Fees, say 50,000 This is to be a charge on the Common Fimd of the Union. Total £442,925 PRESENT PAYMENTS. By annual vote of Parliament, half of Salaries , 92,827 Common Fund of Union, ditto, ditto 92,827 By ditto, and parishes, Extra Medical Fees 36,386 £222,040 Proposed increased expenditure £220,885 The above may appear a considerable increase, and in roimd numbers, it certainly looks so; but is it more than the Medical Officers ought to have Is 2s. 6d. without medicines, or 3s. 6d. with, too high a pajrment for attending an Ulness, the average duration of which is 22 days ? Can any Hon. Gentleman rise in the House, and conscientiously say that it is ? The Right. Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, the President of the Poor Law Board, in February, 1859, concluded his address to the Deputation of Poor Law Medical Officers in these words— The matter ought not to continue in its present state, and if I remaia in office, I shall use the best means in my power to put this question on a better footing, and to malce such an-angenients as will be satisfactory both to you and the public. I therefore pray you to cany out the intentions of the Right.-Honorable Gentleman ; and I firnJy believe, no better BUI, upon the whole, can be devised than that introduced by Mr. Pigott, and now before you, which it passed into law, will be, to quote the words of Mr. Estcourt, satisfactory to the Medical Officers and the public. I have the honor to be, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your most obedient Servant, RICHARD GRIFFIN, To tht Member* of Ihe Lrgitlatwf. CiuutMAN.