every town has a free public library ) national defense and so on. But besides these Britain also spends more than 40% of the government's total expend iture on social welfare program. The English social welfare program includes ma inly the following items, and nearly everyone in Britain is entitled to the welfare in certain aspects 1. The National Health Service The National Health Service prov ides medical care for almost all the people. It provides med ical treatment both in hospital and outside. It covers sickness of mind as well as ordinary sickness, and it includes the treatment of teeth, sight and hearing and other expensive items like wheelchairs, artificial limbs, etc. This program is based on the belief that the government should be responsible for improvement in the health of the people. The program requires employers and employees to contribute some money to the program, but about 90% of the cost of the health services is paid by the government Of course, like the situation in our country, people are not obliged to use the service. They can go to some private doctors. Accord ing to the requirements of the National Health Service, people should go to certain hospitals, which are within the health service for their free medical treatment. Normally, a person must be registered on a general practitioner's list, and if he needs medical attention, he should first of all make an appointment with his practitioner arranging to go to see him or to have the practitioner come to see him. The task of a general practitioner is to give medical treatment, to prescribe medicine, or to arrange for the patient to go to hospitals. After the doctor's treatment, the patient should take the prescription to a chemists shop to et the medicine. From 1948, the patient paid nothing for medicine, but in 1951 small pay ment was necessary. The payment was abolished in 1964 by the Labor Government, but then restored by it in 1968. The Health Service funds pay for the cost of each prescription above the patient's contribution, but for small children and people with low incomes there is no charge. So patients pay min imal charges for prescriptions, adult dental treatment, eyeglasses and dentures (15), and some locally administered services, such as vaccinations(接种疫苗 Each person is free to choose a general practitioner in the area where he lives. If he is away from his home, he may go to any doctor. Each general practitioner receives a fixed"capitation(按人头计算) payments from the health service funds of about f1 per year for each patient on his list. If he cares for a pregnant woman, he gets a fixed add itional sum. The general practitioner also receives pay ment for treating people not on the list, because when people go away from home for their holidays, they can see any doctor. So the general practitioners may have chances to treat visitors from other parts of the country. Besides the payments mentioned above, the general practitioner could also have private patients7 every town has a free public library), national defense and so on. But besides these, Britain also spends more than 40% of the government’s total expenditure on social welfare program. The English social welfare program includes mainly the following items, and nearly everyone in Britain is entitled to the welfare in certain aspects. 1. The National Health Service The National Health Service provides medical care for almost all the people. It provides medical treatment both in hospital and outside. It covers sickness of mind as well as ordinary sickness, and it includes the treatment of teeth, sight and hearing and other expensive items like wheelchairs, artificial limbs, etc. This program is based on the belief that the government should be responsible for improvement in the health of the people. The program requires employers and employees to contribute some money to the program, but about 90% of the cost of the health services is paid by the government. Of course, like the situation in our country, people are not obliged to use the service. They can go to some private doctors. According to the requirements of the National Health Service, people should go to certain hospitals, which are within the health service for their free medical treatment. Normally, a person must be registered on a general practitioner’s list, and if he needs medical attention, he should first of all make an appointment with his practitioner arranging to go to see him or to have the practitioner come to see him. The task of a general practitioner is to give medical treatment, to prescribe medicine, or to arrange for the patient to go to hospitals. After the doctor’s treatment, the patient should take the prescription to a chemist’s shop to get the medicine. From 1948, the patient paid nothing for medicine, but in 1951 a small payment was necessary. The payment was abolished in 1964 by the Labor Government, but then restored by it in 1968. The Health Service funds pay for the cost of each prescription above the patient’s contribution, but for small children and people with low incomes there is no charge. So patients pay minimal charges for prescriptions, adult dental treatment, eyeglasses and dentures (假牙), and some locally administered services, such as vaccinations (接种疫苗). Each person is free to choose a general practitioner in the area where he lives. If he is away from his home, he may go to any doctor. Each general practitioner receives a fixed “capitation”(按人头计算) payments from the health service funds of about ￡1 per year for each patient on his list. If he cares for a pregnant woman, he gets a fixed additional sum. The general practitioner also receives payment for treating people not on the list, because when people go away from home for their holidays, they can see any doctor. So the general practitioners may have chances to treat visitors from other parts of the country. Besides the payments mentioned above, the general practitioner could also have private patients