Navigating the NHS

NHS overview

The NHS is the world’s largest publicly funded health service, and remains mostly free to the 60 million plus people who live in the UK. The NHS in England is about to undergo the biggest changes to the way it is run since it was formed in 1948.

Maternity care

NHS: How satisfied are English mums?

Disabled?

Understanding the new ESA

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Latest headlines

Open hospital windows to cut risk of bacterial infection

Microbiologist says following Florence Nightingale's lead and throwing open ward windows will allow in microbes to compete with dangerous pathogens

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What the NHS does

The NHS is the world’s largest publicly funded health service. The founding principle in 1948 was 'free at the point of delivery'. That's still true today in most cases. You don't get charged for visiting an NHS GP, but many people do pay to see a dentist or optician, unless you are exempt.

The NHS is there for all 60 million of us in the UK - from flu jabs to IVF treatment and heart transplants to cancer treatment.

What the NHS does

NHS basics