Most NHS care begins with a general practitioner (GP) at a local doctor's surgery. Anyone living in the UK can register with their nearest GP free of charge. The GP can refer patients to specialists or to hospital. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; in England most adults pay a fixed prescription charge per item, with exemptions for children, pensioners and people on certain benefits.
Further reading: an editorial guide on this topic opens in a new window for additional context.
In a life-threatening emergency call 999 (or 112) for an ambulance. For non-emergency advice, call NHS 111. Most pharmacies offer over-the-counter advice for minor illnesses. Dental and eye care are partly subsidised by the NHS but most adults pay something towards the cost.
You may be asked what number to call in an emergency (999), or who to register with for routine medical care (a GP).
Test yourself on this topic
These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.
Keep going
- Read the full study notes for Modern Society.
- Try a practice test on this chapter.
- Sit a full 24-question timed mock.
- Browse the complete library of topic explainers.
Related topic explainers
Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal
How the UK remembers its war dead each November and the symbolism of the red poppy.
The BBC and Public Broadcasting
How the licence fee funds the BBC and what its independence from government means.
Volunteering and Charities
Britain's vast charity sector, gift aid and the volunteers who keep so much of it running.
Britain's Love of Gardening
The Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS and the millions of British people who tend a garden.