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The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. It was created on 5 July 1948 by Clement Attlee's Labour government, under health and housing minister Nye Bevan. The NHS followed on from the "Panel" system set up in 1911 under the aegis of David Lloyd George, and the primary care records are still stored in "Lloyd George" envelopes although nowadays most working records in primary care are computerised.

The NHS was, and largely remains, a system of medicine, intended to be "free at the point of delivery" and paid for by taxes. Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer once said that it was the national religion. Private medical care remained, and remains, available in the UK.

The NHS continues to provide the vast majority of healthcare in the UK. The long-term future of the NHS and its day to day organisation are major issues in British politics.

In recent times, UK politicians have being trying to reduce waiting times for surgery, however have failed to meet all the targets they have set. Nevertheless, the NHS is respected worldwide, especially by left wing americans, as a role model for the welfare state.

Contrary to popular misconception, the founding principles of the NHS called for its funding out of general taxation, not through national insurance. The NHS is the third largest employer in the world after the Chinese army and Indian Railways.

1 External links

• NHS in England
• NHS Scotland
• NHS Northern Ireland
• NHS in Wales
• BBC coverage of NHS 50th anniversary
• http://www.nhshistory.com/
• National Electronic Library for Health
• Doctors for Reform

2 See also

• UK topics
• NHS TrustMany services in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom are provided by NHS Trusts . There are 2 major types of Trusts: Primary Care Trusts and Hospital Trusts. Primary Care Trusts Primary Care Trusts are free-standing statutory bodies responsi
• NHS Foundation TrustAn NHS Foundation Trust or commonly called a foundation hospital is a public benefit corporation which is authorised to provide goods and services for the purposes of the National Health Service in England under the Health and Social Care (Community Healt
• Publicly funded medicine
• National Institute for Clinical ExcellenceThe National Institute for Clinical Excellence or NICE is an agency of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. It was set up in 1999 to defuse the postcode lottery system of healthcare in England and Wales, where treatments that were available
• General Medical CouncilThe General Medical Council (the GMC is the regulator of the medical profession in the United Kingdom. Their purpose is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the community by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. The c
• Nursing and Midwifery CouncilThe Nursing and Midwifery Council is the UK's regulatory body for the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Professions. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is an organisation set up by Parliament to protect the public by ensuring that nurses and midwives
• Doctors for Reform