102 tical neurodevelopm ental therapy and on m obilisation techniques (M aitland) on a regional basis. R egarding post-basic courses ru n by the Society, it has been suggested th a t B ranches who ru n post-basic courses should pay a percentage o f th e profits to the P .P .K . F u n d . In retu rn , B ranches m ay retain a p ercen ­ tage o f th e profits o f any N .E .C .-organised course held in th eir area. In respect o f B ranch b oundaries a new m a p show ing these has been sent to each Branch Secre­ tary. FIN A N C E T h e to ta l paid-up m em bership is 1 134 excluding student m em bers. A separate F inance C om m ittee is h andling m uch of the financial business o f the Society, m aking its recom m endations to th e N .E .C . Now th a t it has been agreed th a t application m ay be m ade to the P .P .K . F u n d fo r loans o r grants it was necessary to set up an application form , which has been done. T he interest available on investm ents is at present R700,00 p.a. T his will increase when m oney from th e special savings acco u n t is invested in th e n ear future, b u t is no t enough to cover rep etitio n o f th e R1 000 given as o u t­ right grants in 1979. T h e F inance C om m ittee feel th a t w here possible, loans rath er th an grants should be aw arded. T h e loan w ould be interest-free and they sug­ gest th a t instead of the individual being responsible fo r repaym ent o f th e loan as such, h e /s h e should be asked to run courses or lectures, p a rt of the profits being used fo r rep ay m en t o f the loan., REPORTS OF SUB-COMMITTEES T h ere are, a p a rt from the F inance C om m ittee, six standing Sub-C om m ittees o f N .E .C . — the A ctivations C om m ittee, the A frikaans T ran slatio n C om m ittee, the C onstitutional Sub-C om m ittee, T he E d ito rial B oard, the R egistration C om m ittee and the new ly-form ed Investiga­ ting C o m m ittee fo r salaries, conditions o f service and registration o f p ost-graduate courses. T h e C o n stitu tio n al Sub-C om m ittee m et in S eptem ber to study th e am endm ents to the C onstitution and Bye- Laws as passed at C ouncil and work has been started on incorporating them in the C onstitution. T he only o th er m atters o f im m ediate interest to m em ­ bers were contained in the rep o rt o f the Investigation C om m ittee. SALARIES A N D CONDITIO NS OF SERVICE It was agreed to ask the teaching and o th er large hospitals, w here th e staff situation was m ost acute, to subm it th eir to tal n u m b er of posts an d posts occupied a t this tim e so th a t N .E .C . could w rite a letter to the D ep artm en t of H ealth proving th e shortage and pressing fo r higher salaries. It was also agreed to investigate the restructuring of post-allocation (based upon type of w ork as well as num ber of beds) and subm it recom m en­ dations which could be forw arded through the correct channels. In fo rm atio n had been requested and received on con­ ditions of service under various em ploying authorities; this is being correlated p rio r to m aking any recom m en­ dations on im proved conditions of service. REG ISTRATION OF POST-G RA DU ATE COURSES It was agreed to subm it the syllabus fo r a proposed extended course in neurodevelopm ental th erap y to the Professional B oard (and the S.A .M .D .C .) as a test-case, asking the P rofessional B oard to ap p o in t exam iners and the S.A .M .D .C . to act as the exam ining body. It was agreed th a t the m erit aw ard system o f the D ep artm en t o f N atio n al E ducation and the T ransvaal Provincial A dm inistration had m any disadvantages and m any em ploying authorities, such as th e C ape Provincial A dm inistration, do not have m erit aw ard systems. I t was agreed to investigate the possibility o f an a c c r e d ita tio n system as already operating overseas; once recom m er® d ations have been fo rm ulated an ap proach will be m ade to the Public Service Com m ission. So far th e P ublic Service C om m ission only recognises South A frican registrable physiotherapy education qualifications and any m asters o r doctors degrees. SPECIAL G R O U PS/A SSO C IA TIO NS T h ere are five Special G ro u p s/A sso ciatio n o f the Society — th e L ectu rers’ G roup, th e M anipulative T h erap ists’ G roup, the N atio n al H ospital G roup, the O bstetric A ssociation and th e P rivate P ractitio n ers’ A ssociation. T h e N .E .C . agreed with a suggestion by the L ectu rers’ G ro u p th a t an an n o tatio n on ethical principles in research should be published in the Jo u rn al and th at th e P riv ate P ractitio n ers’ A ssociation should be asked to suggest to its m em bers th at, fo r th eir own protection, they subm it details of any research projects which they m ay be u n d ertaking to the N .E.C . W.C.P.T. D ue to the delay in publication of the W .C .P.T . 8th C ongress Proceedings perm ission has been given to authors of papers to publish elsew here provided acknow ­ ledgem ent is m ade th a t the p a p e r was originally p re ­ sented at th e Congress. T h e first regional sem inar of the W .C .P.T. will t i held in G eneva fro m 1 - 4 O ctober 1980. D etails an available from the Office Secretary. S. H . Irw in-C arruthers DESEMBER 1979F I S I O T E R A P I E CORRESPONDENCE THE EFFECTS OF M EDICA L SCHEM ING ON M EDICA L CARE M adam , M ay I draw y o u r atten tio n to an article w ith the above title by D r P. D. de V illiers in th e SA M edical Jo u rn a l o f the 25 A ugust 1979? " O ne w ould like to q u o te so m any passages fro m this article th a t it w ould p erh ap s be a good idea to request perm ission to publish th e w hole of it in “ Physio­ th e ra p y ”. M ost o f th a t w hich is w ritten concerning doctors p ertain s also to physiotherapists in p rivate p ractice. T h e only persons w ho really seem to benefit fro m m edical schem es are th e a d m in istrato rs o f these schemes, w ho, though being ostensibly non-profit-m aking do n o t disclose the profits o f the a d m in istrato rs o r the gains o f th e sponsors. P riv a te p ra c titio n e rs’ requests fo r increased fees are blam ed fo r the escalating contribu­ tions payable to m edical schemes. N o b o d y seems to rem em ber th a t the m edical aid tariff is a preferential one, in itially intended to assist those w ho could not afford m edical care. T hese preferential tariffs have now b een extended to the w ealthy also, and th e p ractitio n er w ho dares to “ contract o u t” is blam ed fo r fleecing the public. It is tim e som ebody p u t it clearly in p rin t w here th e blam e fo r the present state of affairs lies, and D r de V illiers is to be co n g ratu lated on his effort. Y ours faith fu lly Miss B. W inter. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )