British English · B2 · Unit 11
Health and care
Health and care
By the end you can
- Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a health system
- Describe a medical experience in detail
- Understand an article about health
Words and phrases
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the NHS | the National Health Service, the UK's public health service | I'm grateful for the NHS. |
| a waiting list | a list of people waiting for treatment | I've been on a waiting list for six months. |
| treatment options | the different ways to treat an illness | Let's talk through your treatment options. |
| the side effects | the unwanted effects of a medicine | What are the side effects? |
| refer you to a specialist | send you to a doctor who knows one area of medicine | I'm going to refer you to a specialist. |
| recover from | get better after | It took me weeks to recover from the operation. |
| an operation | when doctors cut into the body to treat it | He needs an operation on his knee. |
| go private | pay for treatment instead of waiting for the NHS (British) | Some people go private to avoid the wait. |
| underfunded | without enough money | Many hospitals are underfunded. |
| a check-up | a regular medical examination | I'm due for a check-up. |
| a junior doctor | a hospital doctor who is still in training (British) | My cousin is a junior doctor in Leeds. |
| on the mend | getting better (informal British) | I'm on the mend now, thanks. |
Then talk it through
Talking through treatment options with a doctor. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.