National Health Service

The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was to provide equal basic and free health care for everybody in the countryside. Before this time, health care had to be paid for by individuals.

Nowadays, the central government is directly responsible for the NHS, although it is managed by local health organizations. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the national insurance contributions paid by those in work. Some people have to pay for prescription and dental care but other people, such as children, pregnant women, and those on income support, areexempt from payment.

As the people of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals---many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480,000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe, although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbors.

During the 1980s, the health service increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization (私人化) of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 198s, the government introduced plans for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-managing. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily. However, the political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.



 According to paragraph 2 and 3, which of the following is TRUE about HNS?