The NHS or National Health Service is the name used for the UK’s public health service. It was established in 1948 as one of the major social reforms decided after the Second World War. it was founded upon these main principles. That the services should be comprehensive, universal and free. UK residents are not charged for the treatment they receive. Citizens within the EU containing a European Heath Card can receive emergency treatment at no cost. Along with persons from countries with which the UK has reciprocal arrangements concerning health care.
Funding
The funding of the NHS comes 98.8 percent from general taxation and National Insurance contributions along with donations. The 2008/9 budget roughly equates to a contribution of £1,980 per person in the UK. When Launched the NHS budget was around £437 million however it received more than £100 billion in 2008/2009. 60 percent of the NHS budget is used to pay staff. With a further 20 percent paying for drugs and other supplies.
NHS England initiated a ‘financial reset’ for 2025/26, expecting Trusts to improve productivity by 4%, operate within reduced budgets, and provide evidence of control. Gareth Jenkins from Changeology Group Ltd outlines how the company can help achieve these goals.
The platform, My Planned Care, will let patients check local hospital waiting times for specialist treatment - in order to fight the NHS COVID backlog.
Though healthcare everywhere advocates for AI, health barriers are presented with minority ethnic groups – as bias can be exacerbated against minority ethnic groups in datasets.
A report by the NHS Race and Health Observatory finds "clear inequalities" in how ethnic minorities are less likely to be given Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
An NHS report of alcohol hospitalisations, alcohol affordability, and prescriptions for drugs to treat alcohol dependence, finds that alcohol misuse is increasing across the UK.
A study finds that broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed due to a lack of resources for GPs - with "time-consuming microbiological tests" taking too long.
