Now, there are about 20,000 general practitioners in the National Health Service and about 1,000 outside it. The average doctor has a little over 2,000 people on his list The maximum is around 3, 500. But the general practitioner should provide a waiting room and a consulting room for his patients, a car and a secretary. In towns, it is usual for 3 or 4 general practitioners to join together. In this way, they can help each other and take care of each other's pat ients during holidays If a patient under the Health Service needs specialists or hospital treatment, his general practitioner will send him to a hospital. In the hospital, all treatment is entirely free both for outpatients and in-patients. The patient may have the best possible treatment. But the disad vantages are 1)he will be put in a large room with other patients. 2)He will not be able to choose a particular surgeon for any operation; 3)in a busy outpatient's clinic, some patients may have to wait for an hour or so like the situation in China Dental treatment is also provided under the Health Service. At first, the Health Service paid all. But now the patients should pay a little. Similarly any patient may have his eyes treated free of charge, yet he must pay part of the cost of the spectacles provided The doctors in hospitals are in several grades. The"housemen""residents'(f 院医生) are the lowest while the consultants(会诊医生) are the highest. The housemen are usually new doctors who spend a year or two living in hospitals gaining experience. Their treatments of patients are under supervision. The consultants may choose to work in the hospital either for the whole of their time or for part of their time, because they are allowed to take private work Under the Health Service, doctors can earn reasonable incomes, but not large amounts. The promotion to the higher posts in hospitals is slow. Thats why many trained doctors emigrated to the U. S or Canada so that they can earn more money Usually, medical students obtain their qualifications at universities. The basic qualification is a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. The length of the medical training is six years. When a student completes his course, he spends a year or more as a resident in a hospital, and must soon decide whether he wants to be a general practitioner or to specialize and work for higher specialist qualifications Besides doctors in the Health Service, there are also many private doctors, and private and financially independent hospitals called nursing homes. People may go to these hospitals to get what they think better treatment as a matter of fact, many people, espec ially rich people prefer to go to the private doctors, because they can enjoy some privileges. They dont have to wait for their turns in the hospitals. They dont have to share room with other patients when they are in-patients, and they can choose certain specialist or surgeon if they are seriously ill or need an operation8 Now, there are about 20,000 general practitioners in the National Health Service and about 1,000 outside it. The average doctor has a little over 2,000 people on his list. The maximum is around 3,500. But the general practitioner should provide a waiting room and a consulting room for his patients, a car and a secretary. In towns, it is usual for 3 or 4 general practitioners to join together. In this way, they can help each other and take care of each other’s patients during holidays. If a patient under the Health Service needs specialists or hospital treatment, his general practitioner will send him to a hospital. In the hospital, all treatment is entirely free both for outpatients and in-patients. The patient may have the best possible treatment. But the disadvantages are 1) he will be put in a large room with other patients. 2) He will not be able to choose a particular surgeon for any operation; 3) in a busy outpatient’s clinic, some patients may have to wait for an hour or so like the situation in China. Dental treatment is also provided under the Health Service. At first, the Health Service paid all. But now the patients should pay a little. Similarly any patient may have his eyes treated free of charge, yet he must pay part of the cost of the spectacles provided. The doctors in hospitals are in several grades. The “housemen” or “residents” (住 院医生) are the lowest while the consultants (会诊医生) are the highest. The housemen are usually new doctors who spend a year or two living in hospitals gaining experience. Their treatments of patients are under supervision. The consultants may choose to work in the hospital either for the whole of their time or for part of their time, because they are allowed to take private work. Under the Health Service, doctors can earn reasonable incomes, but not large amounts. The promotion to the higher posts in hospitals is slow. That’s why many trained doctors emigrated to the U.S. or Canada so that they can earn more money. Usually, medical students obtain their qualifications at universities. The basic qualification is a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. The length of the medical training is six years. When a student completes his course, he spends a year or more as a resident in a hospital, and must soon decide whether he wants to be a general practitioner or to specialize and work for higher specialist qualifications. Besides doctors in the Health Service, there are also many private doctors, and private and financially independent hospitals called ‘nursing homes’. People may go to these hospitals to get what they think better treatment. As a matter of fact, many people, especially rich people prefer to go to the private doctors, because they can enjoy some privileges. They don’t have to wait for their turns in the hospitals. They don’t have to share room with other patients when they are in-patients, and they can choose certain specialist or surgeon if they are seriously ill or need an operation