Health Guide – Understanding How the NHS Works

Health Guide – Understanding How the NHS Works

The National Health Service (NHS) was setup by the government to provide healthcare for all residents of the UK and is funded by public taxes. This service is based on people’s need for healthcare instead of their ability to pay for it. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own separate NHS services.

The following guide will explain in simple terms how the NHS is structured, so you can better understand how to get the treatment that you or a member of your family need.

Department of Health and Its Authorities

The NHS is run by the Department of Health, which reports to the Secretary of State for Health.

In total, the Department of Health is responsible for NHS and social care delivery through the Strategic Health Authorities.

Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)

These Authorities supervise the Trusts that run NHS services in their local areas. There are 10 of them in total and their responsibilities include developing as well as integrating plans to improve health services.

The main Trusts that the Health Authorities watch over are as follows:

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs)

These are your first port of call in providing care when you have a medical problem and need to visit a doctor. There are 152 Primary Care Trusts and they control 80 per cent of the NHS budget. PCTs make sure there are enough health services for people in their local area. In total, their services include providing hospitals, dentists, opticians, mental health services, screening, pharmacies, NHS walk-in centres and patient transport.