Dynamic approach to adolescence. Treatment.

and demand will bring down medical fees. I wonder. It appears that most young doctors wish to specialise and avoid general practice. Surgeons' fees varied a bit some ten years ago when there was a glut of general surgeons, but no one lowered his fees to attract the customers; more usually they charged what they could (or what they needed to stay in business). Some three years ago the Australian Medical Association emerged as the feesetting organisation for the whole profession, and the various specialist groups' fees were brought together in one book. The Government chose a lower scale of fees on which to base the patients' rebates. Since then the passing years have added to the fees but not as much as inflation has eroded their value. On each occasion this has happened the Government congratulated the Australian Medical Association for its self-sacrificing nobility, which hardly makes up for the fact that my standard of living is slowly going down. But I must not grumble as I am still much better off than my opposite numbers in the UK. The overseas doctors on the registers of some states are there because Australia has no overall general medical council. Each state has its own medical register, with different conditions. South Australia has hundreds of doctors who live and work in the countries to the north of Australia. There is fear that the state might be swamped by overseas doctors if things go wrong abroad. NSW has much wider registration possibilities than does Victoria. This was publicised recently when a small country town was unable to obtain the services of an Indian doctor who was willing to move from NSW, where he was registered, to Victoria. This was not to be, as his qualifications, acceptable in NSW, were not acceptable in Victoria. It is said that last year the NSW Medical Board registered more foreign than Australian graduates. Perhaps NSW is oversupplied in some specialties as a result of an influx of foreigners.