National Health Service

in the UK
 How does NHS works in UK?
Health care is provided by a single payer —
the British government — and is funded by
the taxpayer. All appointments and
treatments are free to the patient (though paid
for through taxes), as are almost all
prescription drugs. 
Primary care- community medical
NHS
management, the first wave of healthcare
providers a patient might see. Includes GPs
community nurses, optometrists,
Accident and Emergency department-
pharmacists etc.
the department to which patients with
more serious injuries or illnesses first
go. The staff here are trained
specifically to treat patients in potential
Secondary care is provided by hospitals danger.
and includes access to specialist service
departments such as cardiology and
general surgery Tertiary care- includes the largest
hospitals with access to
specialist services such as
chemotherapy, plastic surgery
and organ transplantation
 Doctors and specialists in the UK
General practitioner
Your local general
practitioner (GP) is your first
Most GP surgeries operate by
point of contact for most
appointment. However, many also offer
medical queries aside from
a ‘walk-in’ service, usually for a couple
emergencies. They can
of hours in the morning. Many
provide assessments and
surgeries offer online booking
advice for most illnesses and
services. GPs usually open between
complaints, prescribing
Monday-Friday, and if you need more
medication, or referring to a
urgent care you can call an out of
specialist if necessary.
hours number, or 111 for urgent but
non-emergency advice.
GP appointments in the UK are short,
usually lasting between 8-10 minutes;
as a result, it’s important to be concise
about your problems. If you need a
referral for a specialist at a hospital,
your GP will provide a referral letter.
Waiting times vary significantly from
practice to practice.
 Women’s healthcare in the UK
The NHS provides a range of
healthcare services for women.
These can be accessed through
-access to gynecology services; GPs or well woman clinics.
-access to free sexual health Services for women’s healthcare in
services; the UK include:
-free contraception;
-maternity care services;
-IVF treatment for women under
40 who meet certain criteria;
-screening programs for cervical
and breast cancer
 Maternity care services in the UK

Pregnancy and childbirth in the UK

The UK ranks 24th in the world for

quality of maternity care, according to
a report released by the charity, Save
The Children.

Most women in the UK give birth

supported by free NHS care. If the
pregnancy is relatively low-risk,
mothers-to-be can choose where they About one in four women living in
want to give birth. Maternity options Britain give birth by cesarean section.
include specialist clinics, hospitals, It is possible to choose a planned
community units, or their own home. cesarean in the UK; should your
They can also decide whether they doctor be unwilling to perform the
want a midwife or a doctor in operation, they should refer you to a
attendance. doctor who will.
Who is entitled to free NHS
maternity care in the UK?

Most foreigners living and

working in the United
Kingdom have access to free
UK healthcare through the
publicly funded National
Health Service (NHS). The
system provides maternity
care — including antenatal,
But what about abortion…
birth, and post-natal care —
free of charge to women who Abortion is legal in most parts of the
fall within the following UK if it is carried out within the first
categorie: a person to live 24 weeks of pregnancy. In certain
within the UK lawfully, circumstances, abortions are
voluntarily, and with the permitted at a later stage in the
purpose of settling; refugees, pregnancy than this. However, there
seekers. are stricter rules in place in Northern
Ireland. Here, abortion is only
permitted if there is a serious risk to
the mother’s life or health.
 Prenatal care in the UK
Once your pregnancy is confirmed, you
should immediately make an
appointment with your doctor or
midwife to organize prenatal care and
start getting the appropriate
healthcare for you and your baby.

Several antenatal checks and tests

 are also undertaken, such as
screening for Down syndrome. In total,
you may have up to 10 appointments
during the nine months of pregnancy.

You will also have two ultrasound scans.

Anaesthetist
Provides anaesthetics (drugs which
cause loss of sensation) to patients
before, during and after surgery and
treat chronic pain. 
Emergency medicine doctor
Assess, treat, admit, or discharge
patients that seek urgent medical
attention at any time of day or night.
This is a generalist hospital role that
specialises in resuscitation.
Gynaecologist
Specialist in the care of the female
reproductive system
Obstetrician
Specialists in pregnancy, childbirth
and the immediately after birth period.

Occupational physician
Diagnosis, management and
prevention of disease due to, or made
worse by, workplace factors.
Physician
A physician is a general term for
someone who practices medicine, they
will usually have a specialist area.
Physicians include, for example:
cardiologists – heart disease
Opthalmologist
dermatologists – skin disease The medical and
surgical care of the eyes
endocrinologists – diseases related to and in the prevention of
hormones, this is a sub-specialty eye disease and injury.
Paediatrician
gastroenterologists – diseases of the Specialists in the
intestines, liver and biliary tract and medical management of
pancreas conditions affecting
babies, children and
geriatricians – illnesses of older young people.
people

haematologists – disorders of the

blood and bon
 Dentistry in the UK

Dentists in the UK may undertake work under

the National Health Service or privately. They
may opt for either of these alternatives, or both.
A small number of dentists are employed by
the NHS but the vast majority are in private
practice.

Orthodontic treatment, such as braces, is only

available on the NHS if there is a medical need
for it. Cosmetic treatment, such as teeth
whitening, is only offered privately. Private
NHS dental treatment in the UK is only free if dental care tends to be more expensive than
you’re under 18, under 19 and in full-time NHS dental care.
education, pregnant or have had a baby in the
previous 12 months. 
It’s also free if you are receiving low-income
benefits, have a spouse who is receiving low-
income benefits or you are under 20 and
dependent on someone who is receiving low-
income benefits.
 How much does NHS dental treatment cost?
NHS dental fees are set by the government and are
the same for all NHS patients. 

In England and Wales, NHS dental treatment is

split into three price bands.
Band 1 costs £22.70 in England and £14.30 in
Wales. It covers an examination, diagnosis,
advice, minor corrections, any necessary X-
rays and further treatment plans.

Band 2 costs £62.10 in England and £46 in

Wales. It covers everything in Band 1, plus
extra treatment such as fillings, root canal
treatment and extractions.
There’s a big jump to Band 3, which costs
£269.30 in England and £199.10 in Wales. This NHS patients only pay once
bracket covers all the above, plus any more for each type of treatment,
complicated dental treatment such as crowns, even if you need to make
dentures and bridges. multiple visits to complete it.
 Test yourself
 
1. Where does National Health Service get the money?
2. Who is the first doctor to visit when we become ill?
3. Community medical management, the first wave of
healthcare providers a patient might see. Includes
GPs community nurses, optometrists, pharmacists
etc.
4. A piece of paper taken by a patient to a pharmacy
which is checked by a pharmacist and then
exchanged for the drugs a patient needs.
5. The department to which patients with more serious
injuries or illnesses first go.
6. What kind of care is provided by hospitals and
includes access to specialist service departments
such as cardiology and general surgery?
7. What include the largest hospitals with access to
specialist services such as chemotherapy, plastic
surgery and organ transplantation?
8. Centres equipped to deal with very serious trauma
cases at any time of day or night?
9. Specialist in the care of the female
reproductive system?
10. A general term for someone who
practices medicine, they will usually have a
specialist area?
11. What can be an indicator of diabetes?
12. What kind of dentists takes impressions
of our teeth and uses really cool digital
technology to move teeth safely into line
with the aid of braces to give you smile
you’ve dreamt about?
13. Is abortion legal in UK?
Thank you! Be healthy!