National Health Service | ORGANIZATION

The National Health Service is the name for the publicly-funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a separate national public healthcare system. Three national services (for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) were established by separate pieces of legislation and began operating on 5 July 1948; prior to that date more limited public health services were operated by local authorities and other bodies. Responsibility for public health services in Wales passed to the Secretary of State for Wales in 1969. Though often collectively referred to as "the" National Health Service, each system operates independently and is politically accountable to the relevant devolved administration for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to the UK government for England. Few matters are subject to common UK government control across all four of the current systems described in the articles:-

Read the full background at Wikipedia