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Sir R. Chalmers This claim must certainly be resisted if put forward
as of right. If the County Infirmary at Navan is a Hospital
within the meaning of the Act 25 and 26 Vic. Cap. 83, Sec.
5 of the Act says that Constables etc. 'suffering from
'fever or other disease or bodily injury requiring treatment
'in hospital may be admitted . . . . and shall contribute
'the full average cost of daily mintenance and establishment
'charges, medical and surgical treatment in such hospital
'for the whole term of their continuance therein.' These
constables did so contribute (an average of about £5 apiece
at about 2/6 a day) and at the request of the Inspector General
I authorized repayment to the Constables at Navan under the
discretion given me by the Treasury. Dr. FInagan appears to be Medical Officer of
Navan
Infirmary, and Dr. Timmon Visiting Physician. They were
only doing their legal duty, therefore, and we have paid the
legal charge made by the Infirmary under the Act. [I may say
that I found out from Mr. Bacon in 1913 that His Majesty's
Government cannot claim here, as in England, free treatment
of Government Servants in rate supported hospitals where
His Majesty's Government makes contributions in lieu of rates.] In addition to this,
Dr. Finagan is the Local
Medical attendant of the R.I.C. and under par. 386 of their
Finance Code he receives 2/— per month for each Officer and
men in his district (subject to certain conditions) whether
he attends them or not. The position is that these doctors took on a contract
or contracts (in Finagan's case) and find that they were
involved in more work than they expected. If claims for some much smaller sum were
put forward
in equity, on these grounds, possibly the Treasury would
agree/
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agree to pay, as excess over contract prices, within strict
limits, has been allowed in the case of contractors faced
with a large rise of prices since their contract was made.
But I agree with the Inspector General that to admit any
claim as of right would be a most dangerous precedent. M. M. 16th August 1916.
Letter to Sir Robert Chalmers (1858-1938) concerning fees paid to doctors in respect
of their treatment of Police personnel . The author anticipates a claim for additional
payment ‘as of right' and argues that this should be resisted. The author suggests
that the two doctors are dissatisfied because the volume of work was much more than
they expected when entering the contract(s).Sir Robert Chalmers was sent to Ireland
as replacement under secretary for Sir Matthew Nathan, who had resigned along with
Augustine Birrell, his chief secretary, following the outbreak of the Easter Rising
in 1916.