51 Healthcare

A

B Healthcare professionals

Many professionals are trained to help people stay healthy and to treat health problems. Primary care is provided by the doctors (also known as physicians) or nurses who the patient goes to first when they have a problem. This may happen at the doctor’s surgery or, sometimes, during a home visit. A locum is a doctor who does the job of another doctor who is ill or on holiday. Most medical care, whether it is for an acute condition1 or a chronic condition, is provided through the primary care system. Secondary care is provided by specialists in special clinics or hospitals. Patients are referred to a specialist by their doctor. These may specialise, for example, in a particular organ2 or a specific age group. Specialists (what they specialise in is in brackets) include, among many others: ophthalmologists (eyes), cardiologists (heart), psychiatrists (the mind), dermatologists (skin), gynaecologists (women’s reproductive systems), obstetricians (pregnancy and childbirth), paediatricians (children), and anaesthetists (anaesthesia or stopping people from feeling pain during surgery). There are also healthcare workers who focus on what is sometimes referred to as alternative medicine or complementary medicine3, including: acupuncturists4 , chiropractors5 , homeopathic doctors6 and aromatherapists7 .

1 one that is severe and sudden in onset 2 part of the body, e.g. stomach, liver 3 approaches that differ from conventional western approaches 4 /ˈækjʊpʌŋktʃərɪsts/ people who treat patients by using needles at special points around the skin 5 /ˈkaɪrəʊpræktəz/ people who treat patients by pressing joints in places where two joints are connected, e.g. the spine, or backbone 6 /ˌhəʊmiəʊˈpæθɪk/ doctors who use tiny amounts of natural substances to treat an illness 7 /əˌrəʊməˈθerəpɪsts/ therapists who use aromatic oils and massage

Health systems

In Britain, healthcare1 is paid for through taxes and national insurance2 payments taken directly from wages and salaries. The government decides how much will be spent on the National Health Service3, but a lot of people feel they do not spend enough. Hospital treatment and visits to a family doctor (or GP4) at a surgery5 or clinic6 are free, but there is often a prescription charge7. Private healthcare is available and a large number of insurance schemes exist to enable people to ‘go private’8 .

1 general expression for all of the services offered by hospitals, clinics, dentists, opticians, etc. 2 tax paid by most working adults which covers the costs of healthcare for everyone 3 British name for the state-funded service that covers hospitals, clinics, dentists, etc. (often abbreviated to the NHS) 4 doctor who looks after people’s general health (GP = general practitioner) 5 small centre offering primary care, run by a single GP or a group of GPs (surgery can of course also mean the branch of medicine that involves carrying out operations) 6 centre which specialises in treating a particular condition or group of conditions 7 charge for the medication the doctor prescribes, which you pay at a pharmacy 8 choose private healthcare

51.1

51.2

51.3

51.4

What kind of medical specialist is each of these people?

1 2 3

4 5 6

Choose a word from the box to complete each sentence.

acute chronic condition locum organ prescription refer surgery

1 I need to phone the 2 He suffers from 3 The doctor wrote me a 4 The GP decided to

to make an appointment for a blood test. bronchitis – it comes back year after year. for some painkillers. Alex to a specialist.

5 Chris has a skin 6 I saw a very nice

which is taking a long time to clear up. today because our normal GP was on leave. 7 The heart is the which pumps blood around our bodies. 8 Lydia had her appendix removed after an attack of appendicitis.

Correct the mistakes in the collocations in these questions about healthcare.

1 What is the name of your familiar doctor? 2 Is there a prescription price in your country? 3 In your country is there a similar structure of primary care and second care? 4 Do doctors often do home visitors in your country? 5 Are there insurance societies for private healthcare in your country? 6 When it comes to healthcare, do many people in your country make private? 7 How popular is complimentary medicine in your country? 8 Have you ever been to a specialist who practises some kind of alternating medicine?

Over to you

Answer the questions in 51.3 about yourself and the healthcare in your country.