Comprehensive government public-health service in Britain covering virtually the entire population, established in 1946.
Financed primarily by general taxes, most services are free. General practitioners and dentists are paid per patient registered with them and may also have private patients. Hospital and specialist services are provided in government hospitals and other facilities by salaried professionals. Local health authority services provide maternity and child welfare, home nursing, and other preventive services. The NHS has provided generally good health care at relatively low cost, but the increasing expense of hospital stays has caused financial strain.