PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR MEDICINE
10. Primary care
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A
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The
National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for health
care for everyone in the UK, although a small number choose to pay for
private care. Treatment is free but there is a prescription charge for drugs and appliances, such as a cervical collar, with exemptions for
some patients, such as children and the elderly.
Primary care is provided by general practitioners, or GPs, (sometimes known as family doctors), nurses, dentist,
pharmacists and opticians. GPs work in practices
of 1 to 20. Practices are based in a surgery
and look after the health of from 1,000 to 15,000 people in their local
community. They also provide health education in areas such as smoking and
diet, run clinics, give
vaccinations, for example for influenza, and may perform minor surgery such as removal of warts and moles. If
a patient needs specialist care, the GP will make a referral – refer
the patient to a consultant in secondary care.
Patients are normally seen on an appointment basis. Home visits are made when patients are housebound – unable to leave
their homes – or too ill to attend surgery. Out-of-hours (OOH)
treatment, from 6 pm to 8 am, is provided by the local Primary Care Trust, which
organizes shifts of GPs and locum
GPs to cover if someone is absent.
Note: The noun surgery has three meanings:
A.
The building where GPs work – The practice has moved to a new surgery on the High Street.
B.
a time when GPs see patients – Morning surgery is from 8.30 to 12.30
C.
the work of surgeons – The patient needs urgent surgery on a burst appendix.
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B
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The
practice team
A typical GP practice employs receptionists. They are
responsible for initial patient contact, making
appointments, taking requests for repeat prescriptions, taking messages from patients
and other health care providers, and for filling
and scanning documents into
patient records. The practice
manager has responsibility for finance and sometimes for IT,
supervises reception staff,
hires locums, and helps
prepare the practice development plan. Practice
nurses run asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease clinics as
well as one-to-one clinics
for those who wish to give up smoking.
In addition to practice staff, GPs work
with a number of health professionals
A.
District nurses visit
temporarily housebound patients, such as recently discharged hospital patients, to change dressings, such as ulcer dressings.
B.
Health visitors visit families
to carry out check-ups on
young children- particularly under-fives – to make sure they’re healthy. Special
attention is paid to families in
need such as those living in poverty. They also do baby
immunizations.
C.
Midwives run clinics
for antenatal patients.
D.
Physiotherapists provide
hands-on treatment but also teach patients exercises they can do to improve
their condition after an accident or operation.
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C
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A GP’s day
 Dr Stuart works in a practice in a
small market town with three other family doctors. The surgery is in the
centre of the town and is shared by three practices. This is a typical
working morning when she is not the duty
doctor, responsible for emergencies and urgent problems. |
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10.1
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Complete the sentences. Look at A above
to help you.
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10.2
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Make word combinations using a word or phrase
from each box. One word can be used twice. Look at A and B above to help you.
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10.3
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Which member of a practice team would
be responsible for each of the following? Look at B above to help you.
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10.4
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Complete the diary for Dr Stuart’s afternoon.
Look at A and C above to help you.
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Answer key
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