Health and Safety Executive, the
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Health and 'Safety Ex,ecutive, the abbrev. HSE a British government organization that gives advice to companies about health and safety, and makes rules to prevent workers from being injured or becoming ill at work → compare OSHA
'health care n [U] the process of looking after people's health, including medical treatment and advice on how to stay healthy. In Britain, health care is provided partly by the National Health Service and partly by PRIVATE MEDICINE.
CULTURAL NOTE Health Care in the UK In the UK there is a NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, the NHS, which is paid for by taxes and NATIONAL INSURANCE (=a system of insurance run by the government), and in general people do not have to pay for medical treatment. Every person has a GP (=general practitioner), a doctor who is trained in general medicine and who treats people in their local area. People who are ill can make an appointment to see their GP, or they can call their GP to visit them at home. People have to pay part of the cost of the medicines that the doctor prescribes (PRESCRIBE), unless they are children, unemployed, or over 60 years old. If a GP decides that it is necessary, he or she will make an appointment for the patient to see a specialist doctor at a hospital. Anyone who is very ill can call an AMBULANCE and get taken to hospital for free urgent medical treatment. Although medical treatment is free in the NHS, people often have to wait for a long time before they are treated. The problem of NHS waiting lists (=lists of people who need treatment but must wait before they can have it) is discussed by a lot of politicians and ordinary people. A small number of people choose to 'go private', which means paying to have treatment done privately, and they get treated more quickly. People who do this usually have private health insurance. As the average age of the population gets older and older, the NHS is becoming more and more expensive to run, and people are worried that medical care will not be free in the future.
CULTURAL NOTE Health Care in the US Unlike the UK, the US does not have a national health care service. Most people have health insurance to pay for their medical care, and this is often paid for by their employer. People can get insurance from a regular insurance company, or they can pay to become members of an HMO (HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION), a company that owns hospitals and practices (=a place where doctors work) for its members to use. The government helps to pay for some medical care for people who are on low incomes through the MEDICAID system, and for old people through the MEDICARE system. There are many people who cannot afford health insurance but are not poor enough to get government help. Health care is an important political subject in the US. The cost of medical insurance and the problems of those who cannot afford it are often discussed by politicians and ordinary people, as are cases of health insurance companies refusing to pay for treatment. When people are ill, they usually go first to an INTERNIST (=a doctor trained in general medicine), but people sometimes go to a specialist without seeing an internist first. Children are usually taken to a PEDIATRICIAN. Doctors do not go to people's homes when they are ill. Patients always make an appointment to see the doctor in the doctor's office. HMO members choose their regular doctor from a list of doctors who work for that HMO. In an EMERGENCY, HMO members contact the HMO and speak to an employee, often a nurse, who arranges for them to be taken to a hospital for treatment.
'health ,centre n in Britain, a building where several doctors work and a person can go to see their doctor or to have treatment from a nurse
'health club n a privately owned place with special equipment where people can go to take exercise
CULTURAL NOTE In the 1980s exercising to be healthy became popular in Britain, and many health clubs were established. It is usually quite expensive to be a member. In the US, the practice of going to health clubs started in the 1970s.
'health farm n an establishment, usually in the country, where rich or fashionable people go when they want to lose weight
'health food n [C;U] (a kind of) food that is believed to be good for health, especially food that is in the natural state, without added chemicals: Is there a health food shop in town?
CULTURAL NOTE Health food is a general name for food that does not contain ADDITIVES (=added chemicals to improve the taste or colour etc), food that is not PROCESSED (=changed from its natural state) such as BROWN RICE (=rice that still has its outer layer), and ORGANIC food (=food grown without the help of chemicals). Many supermarkets sell health food, but it is sold especially in health food stores, which also sell things like VITAMINS and ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (=medicines made from plants, herbs etc). Health food is connected in some people's minds with people who support 'Green' ideas and care a lot about the environment, and some people make fun of people who eat health food and call them 'cranks' or 'health freaks' (=people with strange or silly ideas who worry too much about what they eat and do not seem to enjoy their food). However, more and more people are becoming concerned about health and chemicals in food, and are buying more organic food. → see also JUNK FOOD and Cultural Notes at ADDITIVE, VEGETARIAN
health-ful /'helθfəl/ adj old-fashioned or literary likely to produce good health: the healthful mountain air
'health in,surance n [U] a contract with an insurance company which promises that if a person pays a regular amount of money usually each month, the insurance company will pay all or most of any medical bills if that person becomes ill or is hurt in an accident → compare HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION, LIFE INSURANCE
CULTURAL NOTE Because there is no national health service in the US, medical care is extremely expensive. Most people have some kind of health insurance, which is partly paid by their employer or by a family member's employer. → see also Cultural Note at HEALTH CARE
'health ,maintenance organi,zation abbrev. HMO n a group of hospitals in the US that all belong to the same organization. People who are members of a health maintenance organization can use any of its hospitals when they need medical treatment.
'health pro,fessional n someone such as a doctor, nurse, DENTIST etc, whose job involves people's health
'Health ,Service, the the British NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
'health ,visitor n (in Britain) a nurse whose job is to visit people in their homes and give them advice. Health visitors work mainly with women who have just had a baby, old people, and people who have a physical disability.
health-y /'helθi/ adj 1 physically strong and not often ill; usually in good health: healthy children | (figurative) The country's economy is not very healthy. 2 a) likely to produce good health: healthy seaside air b) good for the mind or character: That book is not healthy reading for a child. 3 a) showing good health: a clear healthy skin | a healthy appetite → opposite UNHEALTHY b) showing a good or favourable condition: healthy profits from our overseas operations c) showing a strong or sensible character; natural: The children have a healthy dislike of school/a healthy disrespect for these silly rules. —ily adv —iness n [U]
CULTURAL NOTE Many people in both the US and the UK are very interested in foods and exercise that will help them to stay healthy. People know that too much fat in your food can give you high CHOLESTEROL (=a substance that causes heart disease), so many people try not to eat too many foods that have a lot of fat or sugar in them. Food companies often advertise their foods as being low in fat, and these foods often have the word 'lite' (=light) in their names. → see also EXERCISE
Hea·ney, Sea·mus /'hi:ni, 'ʃeɪməs/ (1939–) an Irish poet. His collections of poems include Death of a Naturalist, The