英文阅读：Health Reforms 医疗改革

英语自学网

　　It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of
their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a
universal health service and reform across health services, Gordon Brown, the UK
Prime Minister, has also announced he is planning to make some changes in our
health service.
        　　The crux of Mr Brown's proposals are related to giving the NHS (National
Health Service) a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing
patients.
        　　He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as
heart disease, strokes, and cancer, for example breast cancer. In Britain there
are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might
have been avoided if the condition had been known about.
        　　Initially, the diagnostic tests will be available for those who are most
vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease, but later on the Prime Minister
claims that they will be more widely available. One example is a plan to offer
all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery, a
condition which kills 3,000 men a year.
        　　The opposition have criticised Mr Brown's proposals, saying that they are
just a gimmick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes.
They also say that Mr Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of
certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.
        　　The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that
the rich pay more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent
years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare.
        　　Many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care, often because
it can be quicker, although the doctors and hospitals are often the same! NHS
waiting lists for operations can be very long, so people can jump the queue by
paying for their operation.
        　　GLOSSARY 词汇表
        　　universal health service
        　　全民医疗服务
        　　reform
        　　改革
        　　crux
        　　要点
        　　prevention
        　　预防
        　　curing
        　　治疗
        　　patients
        　　病人
        　　screening
        　　检查/查体
        　　strokes
        　　中风
        　　cancer
        　　癌症
        　　heart attacks
        　　心脏病发作
        　　condition
        　　病状
        　　diagnostic tests
        　　诊断性检查
        　　artery
        　　动脉
        　　opposition
        　　反对(党)派
        　　gimmick
        　　花招
        　　timetable
        　　时间表
        　　putting more money towards
        　　向…注入资金
        　　taxation
        　　税收
        　　waiting lists
        　　等候名单
        　　jump the queue
        　　插队;加塞儿