OBSOLETE: Health System of United Kingdom

Health care is one area in which the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1945 has experienced a distinctive arrangement compared with other Western industrialized societies. In 1948, a single service funded from general taxation was established to provide comprehensive and universally available health care. This National Health Service was available to all and free at the point of delivery. It has continued to dominate the British health-care system ever since. This article examines the development of this unique form of health service and considers the many pressures and changes it has faced. Also assessed are current issues and key concerns facing the system.