The NHS Explained: How the Health System in England Really Works
Get a detailed understanding of the NHS - its inner workings, current and future challenges, and how it all fits together.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
2 hours
The NHS Explained: How the Health System in England Really Works
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
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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
Who is this accredited by?
The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Demonstrate a wide understanding of how the constituent parts of the NHS in England work together to deliver health and care services
- Summarise the various ways in which the NHS measures how well it is performing
- Discuss the future challenges facing the NHS and the way in which the system is adapting to meet these challenges
- Explore the resources required needed to keep the nation healthy
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?
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.
I'm a digital content producer at The King's Fund. I work on our digital content and online presence, including our social media channels and videos.
Researcher in the King's Fund policy team
Who developed the course?
The King's Fund
The King’s Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. Its vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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