Universal health coverage in the United Kingdom.

This United Kingdom has had universal health coverage since 1948, provided through its government-funded National Health Service (NHS). In recent years, increasing workload and treatment costs have put a considerable strain on the NHS. The government has responded to these challenges through a controversial program of organizational changes in the NHS. In its most recent policy initiatives, the government proposes to increase the proportion of national income spent on the NHS and make much greater use of private-sector health care providers.