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NHS in your country

England

In England, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has overall responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC),  which leads policies for health and social care in England.

NHS England is a statutory arms-length body, mandated by DHSC to set the priorities and direction of the NHS, and directly commissions primary care services such as GPs, pharmacists and dentists, and some other specialised services.  In March 2025, the Prime Minister announced that NHS England would be abolished and its functions brought into DHSC by 2027.

The other statutory national arms-length bodies are:

Integrated Care Systems (ICS) were given statutory powers through the 2022 Health and Care Act, formalising their role in planning and delivering health and care services.  There are 42 ICSs and each one includes:

  • An Integrated Care Board (ICB) - responsible for NHS planning and funding
  • An Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) - a broader alliance including local government and voluntary and community organiastions to address the wider health, public health and social care needs of the population. 

The Government published a new 10 Year Health Plan for England on 3rd July 2025. The 10-Year plan sets out three fundamental shifts in how the NHS will work in the future. From hospital to community; from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention. It also sets out shorter term goals to cut waiting times, improve access to Primary Care through new Neighbourhood Health Services and enhance urgent and emergency care. 

Find out more about how the NHS works in England:

Scotland

The NHS in Scotland is managed by the Scottish Government and consists of 14 regional health boards and seven special NHS boards.

Further information about how the NHS in Scotland operates can be found at:

Key health organisations in Scotland

The Health and Social Care delivery plan sets the framework and actions needed to ensure that health and social care services are fit to meet the challenges of a changing society in Scotland.

Wales

  • The Welsh National Health Service (NHS Wales) is managed by the Welsh Government and is made up of seven local health boards and three national NHS trusts. Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is also part of the Welsh NHS family, established in 2018 as the only Special Health Authority in Wales.  HEIW is responsible for leading on education, training, development and shaping of the healthcare workforce in Wales.  

Further information on Health and Social Services can be found at:

In June 2018, Welsh Government published its 10-year plan ‘A Healthier Wales – Our Plan for Health and Social Care’. This was their response to the Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care in Wales ‘A Revolution from Within: Transforming Health and Care in Wales’ published in January 2018. In December 2024, the strategy received a ‘refresh’ and an accompanying action plan. 

Northern Ireland

Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland is overseen by the Department of Health (DoH), a devolved government department within the Northern Ireland Executive. The Department is responsible for setting health and social care policy, strategic direction, legislation, funding, and overall system oversight.

Unlike other parts of the UK, Northern Ireland delivers health and social care services as an integrated system, meaning hospital, community, primary care, and social care services are managed together under a single structure.

In recent years, there have been significant structural changes:

  • The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) was closed in 2022, with its commissioning functions and staff absorbed directly into the Department of Health and the regional Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) within the Department.
  • Five Health and Social Care Trusts are responsible for the delivery of services across geographical areas: Belfast, Northern, Southern, South Eastern, and Western Trusts.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Trust operates regionally

Key Organisations in Northern Ireland Health and Social Care

  • Department of Health (Northern Ireland) – Leads policy, strategic planning, and funding for health and social care.
  • Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) – Part of the Department, responsible for service planning, commissioning, and performance oversight.
  • Health and Social Care Trusts – Deliver frontline health and social care services.
  • Public Health Agency (PHA) – Provides public health leadership, health protection, health improvement, and service development support.
  • Regulatory Bodies:
    • RQIA (Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority) – Regulates and inspects care services.
    • NISCC (Northern Ireland Social Care Council) – Regulates social care workforce.

 

 

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