The National Health Service in the United Kingdom was set up in July 1948 to cover everyone in the country for all health care. It was set up to be free at the point of delivery, and paid for out of national general taxation.

This article is a follow-on from my previous one, The National Health Service in the UK: who pays, and who is covered, which looks at how the NHS was set up, who is eligible for treatment, and how much the whole system costs.

This hub examines what types of medical care are covered by the NHS, including doctors, hospital treatments, dentists, and opticians. It also details what patients have to pay for, such as fillings and prescriptions, how much they cost, and who gets them for free.

It also considers other associated matters, such as assistance for wigs or travel costs for NHS patients.

Different universal health systems in different countries have varying arrangements, as to whether patients pay for visiting a GP, or for hospital stays or long-term drugs.

The NHS is split into four parts, for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The differences aren't great, but there are some minor variations in terms of payment for prescriptions and so forth. This article is about the rules, regulations and system in England.





