Saskatoon Star Phoenix
July 21, 1962. p.1
A new break-through in the Saskatchewan Medical Care dispute was expected today, informed sources said late Friday night.
It was expected the government would favorably reply to proposals made by the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons through its president, Dr. H.D. Dalgleish, Wednesday. News of a possible break-through came after the college council had a special session and the government had a party caucus meeting. An informant speculated on a complete settlement today.
In his address to the CCF-NDP convention Wednesday, Dr. Dalgleish presented a series of amendments for the Saskatchewan Medical Care Act. At the same time, he withdrew the college's long-time demand for suspension of the act before negotiations could resume.
The amendments called for changes that would spell out permission for doctors to practice outside of the act and would enable private medical insurance plans to continue to operate. He said doctors would return to normal practice as soon as the changes in the act were in force.
SERVICE OFF JULY 1
Doctors withdrew normal service July 1, the day the government introduced the plan. Only emergency service was provided since then.
Since Wednesday, neither side in the two and a half year dispute held a press conference --a switch from the daily conferences prior to the speech.
Premier W. S. Lloyd was expected to have held a press conference on a matter of "some interest" Friday evening but it was canceled.
Friday night was the first time the college headquarters in the Parktown Motor Hotel was closed--no doctors were around. Some government members left after the caucus late Friday night for their homes but it was understood that cabinet ministers remained.
Lord Taylor, the advisor brought to Canada from Britain by the government, was reported to have met with both sides Friday in lengthy talks.
The medical care dispute culminated with the doctors' boycott of the plan July 1. Until Wednesday there was a deadlock between the two parties and no negotiations were held. Intermediaries, however, had been in contact with the two sides for the past two weeks in a bid to settle the dispute.
The concessions requested by Dr. Dalgeish, except those dealing with insurance agencies, had been verbally offered by Premier Lloyd and were passed as orders-in-council but they were not accepted by doctors because they did not form part of the act.
