Public Health Act 1875

138 Poor law medical officer entitled to costs of attendance on board vessels.

Whenever, in compliance with any regulation so issued by the Local Government Board as aforesaid, any poor law medical officer performs any medical service on board airy vessel he shall be entitled to charge extra for such service, at the general rate of his allowance for services for the union or place for which he is appointed ; and such charges shall be payable by the captain of such vessel on behalf of the owners thereof, together with any reasonable expenses for the treatment of the sick.

Where such services are rendered by any medical practitioner who is not a poor law medical officer, he shall be- entitled to charges for any service rendered on board, with extra remuneration on account of .distance, at the same rate as those which he is in the habit of receiving from private patients of the class of those attended and treated on shipboard, to be paid as aforesaid. In case of dispute in respect of such charges, such dispute may, where the charges do not exceed twenty pounds, be determined by a court of summary jurisdiction ; and such court shall determine summarily the amount which is reasonable, according to the accustomed rate of charge within the place where the dispute arises for attendance on patients of the like class as those in respect of whom the charge is made.