National Health Service

The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually, although only the health service in England uses the name 'National Health Service' without further qualification. Forming the basis of healthcare in the United Kingdom, each system operates independently, and is politically accountable to the relevant devolved government of Scotland (Scottish Government), Wales (Welsh Assembly Government) and Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Executive), and to the UK government for England.

Three services (for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) were established by separate pieces of legislation and began operating on 5 July 1948. Responsibility for public health services in Wales passed to the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969.^[1].

There is no discrimination when a patient resident in one country of the United Kingdom requires treatment in another. The consequent financial matters and paperwork of such inter-working are dealt with between the organisations involved and there is generally no personal involvement by the patient comparable to that which might occur when a resident of one European Union member country receives treatment in another.

For details of the four services see;

• National Health Service, (for England)
• NHS Scotland,
• NHS Wales
• Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland

[edit] See also

• History of the National Health Service

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• 'BIRTH OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE | How the state of the nation's health became a political ideal', a BBC Archive collection of programmes and documents.
• Celebrating 60 years of the NHS in Scotland (useful insight into the distinct development of public healthcare in Scotland)
• NHS Choices The NHS website