The NHS Explained: How the Health System in England Really Works
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Duration 4 weeks
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Weekly study 2 hours
Learn how healthcare is delivered in the NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is a source of British national pride placed above the BBC, the British Olympic team, and the Royal Family. It affects the lives of millions of people.
But have you ever wondered how many people it takes to keep a nation healthy? Or how much money it costs to run the NHS? Or why hospital waiting times are always in the headlines?
This course will help you understand what keeps the fifth largest employer in the world running. You’ll explore the challenges facing the system, and how to ensure the NHS is fit for the future.
What topics will you cover?
- How the NHS in England is structured
- How different services work together to deliver health care in the NHS
- How funding flows through the system
- How well the NHS is doing
- How performance is measured in the NHS
- Future challenges facing the NHS and how the system is changing in response to this
When would you like to start?
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone interested in the NHS in England and how it works. This includes NHS and social care staff in England (working in both clinical and non-clinical roles), students considering a career in the NHS, and patients and the public.
Who will you learn with?
Hong-Anh Nguyen
I'm a librarian at The King's Fund and alongside managing the library and public enquiry service, I also lead on our service that helps to keep people up to date on health policy in England.
Ian Ford
I create, commission and edit digital content for The King's Fund. I help to manage our online presence and find different ways to share our messages with others.
Lillie Wenzel
I'm a Fellow in the policy team at The King's Fund where I work on a range of projects. This has included work on commissioning and Integrated Care Systems.
Deborah Ward
I’m a senior analyst in the policy team at the King’s Fund where I contribute to a range of research projects as well as providing regular analysis of data about the performance of the NHS.
Who developed the course?
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
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