Abstract
THE text of the Ministry of Health Bill, already-noted as having been presented to the House of Commons on February 17, has since been published. As foreshadowed by Dr. Addison in his speech to the members of the Medical Parliamentary Committee, prior to its introduction, the Bill differs little from the measure originally presented to the last Parliament. That it does differ to some extent, however, particularly in bearing signs of having been worked at and polished, is worthy of mention. The new Bill carries the stamp of finality, and suggests that most of the State Departments performing health functions—the Local Government Board, the Board of Education, and the Insurance Commissioners especially—have arrived at arrangements more or less agreeable to all parties. The position as between the two first-named, for example, is shown to be fairly easy. Even as regards the place to be taken, by the Insurance Commissioners, there is less reason for dissatisfaction, and concessions no doubt have been made by the various bodies and individuals concerned. Speaking generally, the measure is a hopeful one, and inspires the feeling that we are well on the way to the establishment of the Ministry. The tone adopted by Dr. Addison is significant of this also, as is the translation of Sir George Newman to the Local Government Board, and the granting to him of the title of “Chief Medical Officer,” with the status of a Secretary of the Board.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
The Ministry of Health Bill . Nature 102, 513 (1919). https://doi.org/10.1038/102513a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/102513a0