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Oct 28, 2010

NA1 Watch these videos about NHS in Britain & answer the questions


How it started: Clipped from a short 1948 film by the British government introducing the original aims of the British National Health Service (NHS), their publicly funded health care system. The NHS began in 1948. For details on the creation and history of the NHS, linked to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National... .

 

The expert's view: British GP Professor Steve Field talks about the transatlantic healthcare row.
Answer these questions after watching the video:
  1. What's his opinion about the British Healthcare Service?
  2. How has it improved over the last 10-15 years?
  3. What's the difference with the American system?


 

The users' view: hotfile.wordpress.com A quick sampling of what Londoners think of their nationalized healthcare system - NHS.
Answer these questions after watching the video:
  1. Do the people interviewed complain about anything? 
  2. In general, how do they feel about their NHS?  
Spanish NHS: Post a comment with your opinion.What's your view about our National Health Service? Do you think it is efficient? How would you improve it?

5 comments:

  1. I often have a look at your blog and I think is useful and funny but sometimes a bit depressing. I have been watching the videos and at first I have understood very little. I have had to listen to them lots of times before answering the question. I am in despair because English people do not usually repeat their words lots of times.

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  2. Don't lose heart, Isabel.
    I do know it's hard, but you have to get used to dealing with real materials so the more you practise with them, the easier it'll get...
    As for this activity, I think the hardest part is the last video, because people are interviewed in the street and there's a lot of background noise, but you're not asked for detail, so you don't have to understand every single word. Just whether they're happy with their NHS or not.
    On the other hand, the activities I post here are extra, I mean, they're meant to help you revise and extend your knowledge as well as to encourage self-learning. Therefore, they're a bit more demanding than the activities we do in class.
    Take it easy and keep practising.

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  3. Did you do the activities? Tough work, wasn't it?
    Here you are the answers:
    The expert's view:
    1. He's really proud of working as a GP in their NHS, he thinks it is superb (= of the highest quality).
    2. A patient who might have cancer will be seen within 2 weeks and start to be treated very quickly.
    3. British NHS is more effective because their General Practice (GPs) works, however, in the US hospitals are great, but not everyone has access to healthcare, their primary care is not good.
    The users' view:
    1. Some of the interviewees complain about the long waiting lists and one of them mentions the shortage of nurses and doctors.
    2. On the whole they have a positive impression, despite the downsides they prefer their system to Healthcare in the US.

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  4. Personally, I think the Spanish Health System it's generally good but I consider It must improve.

    The Spanish Health System works relatively well firstly, because you get good primary care and most services are free.

    Secondly, when you are ill doctors arrange for you to have different tests until they find out what's wrong with you. The tests are usually very expensive and most people wouldn't be likely to afford them, but doctors are more worried about your healthy than the money.

    Besides, recently, some aspects, which had charges associated has improved. For example the government has adopted some measures to ensure that the dental care is free for children.

    However, it has many shortcomings that must improve, you have to wait for going to a specialist or having an operation. There is shortage of doctors in most hospitals above all in small hospitals and the best doctors are in big hospital too.

    Although the Health System has many downsides, if you make a balance it seem acceptable

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  5. Great, Fátima!!! Thanks for sharing your opinion. Looking forward to reading more opinions.

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