The National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for health care for everyone in the UK, although a small number choose to pay for private care. Treatment is free but there is a prescription charge for drugs and appliances, such as a cervical collar, with exemptions for some patients, such as children and the elderly.

Primary care is provided by general practitioners, or GPs, (sometimes known as family doctors), nurses, dentists, pharmacists and opticians. GPs work in practices of 1 to 20. Practices are based in a surgery and look after the health of from 1,000 to 15,000 people in their local community. They also provide health education in areas such as smoking and diet, run clinics, give vaccinations, for example for influenza, and may perform minor surgery such as removal of warts and moles. If a patient needs specialist care, the GP will make a referral -refer the patient to a consultant in secondary care.

Patients are normally seen on an appointment basis. Home visits are made when patients are housebound - unable to leave their homes - or too ill to attend surgery. Out-of-hours (OOH) treatment, from 6 pm to 8 am, is provided by the local Primary Care Trust, which organizes shifts of GPs and locum GPs to cover if someone is absent.

Note: The noun surgery has three meanings:

* the building where GPs work - The practice has moved to a new surgery on the High Street.

* a time when GPs see patients - Morning surgery is from 8.30 to 12.30.

* the work of surgeons - The patient needs urgent surgery on a burst appendix.

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