Plan this problem and solution essay about health with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In many hospitals, doctors and nurses are overworked, and patients often have to wait a long time for treatment.
What are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
In many hospitals doctors and nurses are overworked, and patients often wait a long time for treatment. This essay will discuss the causes of this problem and suggest measures to solve it.
Several factors are responsible. Populations are growing and ageing, so more people need care, especially for long-term conditions, while the number of medical staff has not kept pace. Training doctors takes many years, and some leave the profession or move abroad because of low pay, long shifts and stress, which creates shortages that increase the workload of those who remain. Funding is also a problem: many health services have limited budgets for beds, equipment and administrative support, so staff spend time on paperwork instead of patients. Outdated systems and a lack of primary care mean that people go to emergency departments with minor illnesses, causing overcrowding. In the UK, record waiting lists illustrate how these pressures combine.
Governments can improve the situation in several ways. They should train more doctors and nurses by funding university places and offering scholarships, and retain existing staff with better pay, reasonable working hours and mental health support. Investment in primary care and community clinics would treat minor problems early and reduce hospital admissions, while public campaigns on prevention would lower demand in the longer term. Digital technology, such as electronic records and online appointments, can cut administration, and hospitals could employ more assistants to take over non-medical duties. Recruiting qualified professionals from abroad could provide a short-term solution.
In conclusion, overwork and long waiting times result from rising demand, staff shortages and limited funding, but increased investment, better working conditions and a stronger focus on prevention can ease the pressure. This would benefit both medical professionals and patients.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| waiting list | queue for treatment |
| medical staff | doctors and nurses |
| overstretched | lacking enough resources |
| healthcare budget | money for health services |
| primary care | first-line medical care |
| patient waiting times | how long patients wait |
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