Health Care

The health care system in England is controlled by the National Health Service (NHS) which is the health system for the United Kingdom.

The health care system in England is controlled by the National Health Service (NHS) which is the health system for the entire United Kingdom. The NHS was created in 1948 and is the largest organization in all of Europe. The NHS guarantees free hospital and physician visits for all UK citizens registered with the NHS.

The NHS is comprised of three different departments which each control separate aspects of the health system. The Department of Health is in charge of funding, directing, and supporting the NHS. The Strategic Health Authorities are in charge of managing, monitoring, and improving local services. The Primary Care Trusts address the issues of assessing local needs and commissioning care.

There is a two-tier system in England: primary care and secondary care. The primary care tier consists of the General Practitioners (typically the first point of contact with any patients), walk-in clinics, dentists, and opticians. These doctors can give referrals to see specialists, who make up the secondary care tier.

Private health insurance is available in addition to public insurance; around 11 percent of the population has some kind of private policy. Private health insurance covers any costs not covered by the NHS and also allows access to private hospitals, which can provide faster treatment. This may be a valuable option, as many NHS hospitals have long waits for almost all non-emergency surgical procedures.