Key Insights
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) provides universal health coverage, primarily funded through general taxation, ensuring access to comprehensive care based on need rather than the ability to pay. Health and social care responsibilities are devolved to England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, each designing and regulating services independently. The COVID-19 pandemic increased public health spending to 11% of GDP in 2022; however, prior funding constraints have limited investments in infrastructure, workforce, and technology. The UK reports some of Europe’s lowest out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditures, yet access to planned hospital care and primary care appointments is hindered by long waiting times, exacerbated post-pandemic. Hospitals consume over half of public health spending, but relatively low bed numbers leave minimal capacity for demand surges. Efforts to integrate health and social care have been longstanding across all four nations. Despite these initiatives, the UK faces relatively low rates of doctors and nurses compared to the EU, high reliance on internationally trained professionals, and health outcome disparities, with infant and maternal mortality rates above EU averages, reflecting socioeconomic inequalities.