27 Health 140 A glance at the British healthcare system Do you have any idea of the costs people have to bear in case of illness or medical emergency? How much do you have to pay for your family doctor9s assistance or for an ambulance? In the UK, as well as many other industrialised countries, residents are granted these services for free by the government. Origins : The British NHS (National Health System) came into existence on July 5th, 1948, in the aftermath of World War II. It emerged from the idea that it was necessary to provide basic medical services to all citizens, regardless of their social or economic position. Funded by the taxes paid by UK residents, the NHS offers them healthcare coverage free of charge at the point of need, this means that everyone in the UK is entitled to healthcare services when they need them, without facing financial barriers. Organisation : The NHS operates throughout the UK; due to devolution, each country has its own administration responsible for managing healthcare, but all their activities are supervised by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. Every year the central government allocates a certain budget to cover the NHS expenditure for staff salaries, medicines, buildings, and equipment. Services : The NHS offers a wide range of services and support to patients. The largest volume of activities focuses on primary care offered by General Practitioners (GPs), who handle common health issues, give prescriptions , and send patients to hospitals or specialists for urgent or specialist treatment. Other services include hospital care and emergency departments. NHS and short-term visitors : If you are in the UK for a short visit, you can receive treatment free of charge with a GP provided that you show your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). So, do not forget to take it with you when you travel abroad! 1 READING SPEAKING PAIR WORK Ask and answer questions about the NHS. 2 141 LISTENING WRITING Listen to an interview with an emergency call handler from London and take note of this information. Then, summarise it. " What the 999 is for " What call handlers should be able to do " Why callers are asked to answer some questions " What instructions callers are given by call handlers " When it is important to call 999 again " What wait time callers are usually given 3 SPEAKING CIVIC EDUCATION GROUP WORK Discuss this quotation. Do you agree? Why? Why not? Share your views with the class. <Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.= Martin Luther King glossary to allocate: destinare in the aftermath: all9indomani to bear: sostenere EHIC: tessera sanitaria europea 158 Topic 7 " FACE TO FACE to grant: concedere to handle: gestire prescription: ricetta medica