Radiology provision in the United kingdom: an overview

Abstract

The UK National Health Service (NHS) came into being in 1948, offering health care for all, free at the point of access. Over the past 6 decades, the NHS has grown to become the world's largest publicly funded health service. The authors present an overview of the NHS, from its conception to the present day, with a particular emphasis on how the changing environment of the NHS has affected the provision of radiologic services. The authors review the current landscape of the NHS with regard to radiology provision, from training and research to funding and the private sector, and touch on the likely future of the service.