The action of our free and irresponsible national press in publishing the leak from the meeting between the Committee on Safety of Drugs and the manufacturers has produced the large number of letters in your correspondence columns that expected. judge that the majority were written by family doctors so may be permitted to offer them some consolation? In a few years time they are unlikely to be playing much part in family planning anyway. At the annual conference of the Family Planning Association (FPA) in June 1969 the Secretary of State for Social Services Mr. Crossman said I aim eventually to provide a comprehensive family planning service the National Health Service. The number of doctor sessions in FPA clinics has almost doubled in the last 3 years and in 1969 there has been for the first time a contribution from the Exchequer to the FPA. Local authorities public money are providing family planning services often using the FPA as their agent. At least 1 London borough is providing free advice to all comers. Hospital boards received from Mr. Crossman in December 1969 a letter which opened I am sure that hospitals can and should make a further contribution to family planning by providing a service of advice to their It becomes clear that when Mr. Crossman says within the National Health Service he means within the hospital and local authority parts of the Health Service. Far from encouraging the development of family planning in general practice authority has decreed that the family doctor may receive no payment for contraceptive advice but only for the provision of a private prescription - to my mind the least important part of the doctors duty when supervising the taking of oral contraceptives. believe that if a woman is given tablets containing active hormones or has a device fitted into her uterus the right person to look after her is her family doctor. see no reason why he should have to go to work in a clinic be it FPA or hospital in order to look after such patients. There are many family doctors who for religious or other reasons play no part in giving this service. Family doctors who do should receive payment for an item of service carried out for reasons of public policy. It is quite improper to bury it in the payment for general medical services given by all. Our representatives must insist that in addition to providing money to build up the hospital local authority and FPA services money must be provided to build up the family doctor services. As have tried to show the writing is on the wall. If family planning is to remain part of family doctoring action is needed urgently now.(FULL TEXT)