Abortion (Amendment) Bill.

I feel that this lack of support is basically because there are so few wives who are an integral part of their husband's practice, and that our colleagues have not known the resentment building up over the years endured by doctors whose wives are employed while they wait patiently for recognition. My wife, a state-registered nurse, has been associated with this practice over 25 years, the last 14 being full time. As we live in an industrial suburb with a full list and rarely take time off duty, practitioners will realise what full time means. (1) I pay my wife £5500 a year for working 10 sessions on qualifying duties to my eight. There is no reimbursement but a little tax gain. (2) My other ancillaries have a pension, paid in full by the DHSS. My wife has no reimbursement. (3) The employer's part of my ancillaries' national insurance stamps is reimbursed. From the reimbursement for my wife's stamp-now £17-08, the reduced rate-we receive no benefit whatsoever. (4) Refresher courses are reimbursed for my ancillaries, with their hotel and travel subsistence; but for my wife there is only tax relief. (5) I did a locum for the neighbouring practice for 13 weeks last year and was reimbursed for all the extra hours put in by my ancillaries-but received nothing for my wife. (6) When the ancillaries are ill or on holiday, my wife has to cover for them without reimbursement, yet when we are on holiday my ancillaries are reimbursed for extra hours spent doing my wife's work. Despite this, we are very happy to have been in practice together for 25 years and in no way would we jeopardise the excellent relations we have in this district by my wife's leaving the practice. But let us remember that the enemy is the DHSS and not ourselves and I would suggest that the Glanvills continue their struggle to the House of Lords, if permitted, and for the BMA and GMSC to insist that come April this year related ancillaries are treated the same as other staff on qualifying duties. Lastly, I should welcome the Minister at any surgery, so that he can see personally the extent of involvement and the responsibility shouldered by one non-reimbursed ancillary. A do-it-yourself medical centre SIR,-Dr Martin Lawrence (8 December, p 1513) rightly stresses the shortfall financial situation confronting a new partner who purchases a …