2. Organization and governance
The United Kingdom’s health care system is largely funded by taxes and
is mostly free at point of access. Legal residents of the United Kingdom
may use the services of the National Health Service (NHS), and they are
also free to purchase private health insurance if they wish. Health care in the
United Kingdom is mainly a devolved matter, meaning that Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland make their own decisions about the way in which health
services are organized. The United Kingdom government allocates a budget
for health care in England, and allocates block grants to Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland which in turn decide their own policies for health care. The
health ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for
public health and health services in their nation.
Each health department funds organizations which arrange services on
behalf of patients. In England and Northern Ireland there is a split between the
purchasers and providers of services, whereas in Scotland and Wales this split
has been abolished.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own
performance framework for the health care system. One of the main goals at
the moment is to better integrate health and social care, in order to be more
cost-effective and efficient, and to provide higher quality services to patients.
There are various health technology assessment and information gathering
systems in place. A range of regulators monitors the NHS and associated
organizations; some regulators oversee all of the United Kingdom (such as
health professional groups), while others are specific to one nation (such as
quality of care providers). Several patient empowerment strategies are in place,
including specific rights for patients.