Jordan Ellis
The National Health Service (NHS) is the collective term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, encompassing England, Scotland, Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. As of August 2023, there are 930 NHS hospitals across the UK, with 76% of them located in England. The NHS provides a comprehensive range of health services, including hospital services, without charge at the point of delivery for UK residents. The system is primarily financed by general taxation, ensuring that costs remain relatively low for patients.
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What You'll Learn
NHS hospitals by region
The National Health Service (NHS) is the collective term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom. This includes NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.
As of August 2023, there are 930 NHS hospitals in the UK out of a total of 1,148 hospitals. This number has decreased since 2021, with approximately 81 hospitals closing in the past 21 months due to various reasons such as funding, staffing issues, and the pandemic.
England has the largest number of hospitals, with 704 hospitals, constituting 76% of all UK NHS hospitals. Scotland has the second-highest number, with 105 hospitals, which is around 11% of all NHS hospitals. The remaining NHS hospitals are distributed across other regions, with 84 in Wales, 62 in the West Midlands, 58 in Yorkshire & Humber, 47 in the North East, 69 in the East Midlands, and 37 in Northern Ireland.
There is a disparity between the number of patients and hospitals in each region. England, which has 84% of the UK population, has only 76% of the total hospitals. In contrast, Scotland and Wales have many smaller hospitals serving less populated and remote areas.
The government has announced plans to invest £850 million in NHS infrastructure, which will result in 20 additional NHS facilities in England. This investment aims to address the gap between the volume of population and the number of hospitals.
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NHS hospital beds
As of August 2023, there are 1,148 hospitals in the UK, including 930 NHS hospitals and 218 private hospitals. 76% of all UK NHS hospitals are in England, with 704 hospitals serving the largest population in the UK. Scotland has around 11% of all NHS hospitals, with 105 hospitals, while Wales has 84 hospitals.
The number of hospital beds in NHS hospitals has been declining over the years. In 2017, the King's Fund documented the number of NHS hospital beds in England as 142,000, less than 50% of the number 30 years prior. In 2019/2020, the total number of NHS hospital beds in England was reported to be around 141,000, a significant decrease from 299,000 beds in 1987/1988, while the number of patients treated has increased. The Covid-19 pandemic has also impacted the availability and use of hospital beds, with hospitals under strain from rising demand, significant waiting lists, staff shortages, and budget constraints.
The government has recognised the need for additional investment in NHS infrastructure, announcing a £850 million package to build new hospital wards, intensive care units, and diagnostic centres. This investment aims to address the gap between the volume of population and the number of hospitals, improving access to healthcare services.
NHS-approved hospital beds are also available for purchase for home care, providing comfort and practicality. These beds feature adjustable back, leg, and height settings, enabling easy transition in and out of bed. They are designed to combine homely design with advanced medical features and are recommended by healthcare professionals.
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NHS hospital funding
The NHS is the collective term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, including NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. The NHS is primarily funded by the government from general taxation (plus a small amount from National Insurance contributions), and overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care. The vast majority of NHS services are free at the point of use, with no billing to the treated person or any insurer. Funding for these services is provided through general taxation and not a specific tax.
The total budget of the Department of Health in England in 2017-18 was £124.7 billion, with £13.8 billion spent on medicines. Health spending in England was expected to rise from £112 billion in 2009-10 to £127 billion in 2019-20 (in real terms), and spending per head was projected to increase by 3.5%. However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) noted that compared to the increase necessary to keep up with a rising and ageing population, spending would fall by 1.3% from 2009-10 to 2019-20. In 2018, the King's Fund, Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust, and the IFS concluded that the main weakness of the NHS was healthcare outcomes, with higher-than-average mortality rates for cancer, heart attacks, and strokes compared to other similar countries.
In June 2018, then-Prime Minister Theresa May announced extra funding for the NHS, representing an average real-terms increase of 3.4% per year, reaching £20.5 billion extra in 2023-24. The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for an additional £10 billion annually for the NHS to match the healthcare spending of other advanced European nations. The government's 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review outlined plans for spending to rise by an average of 2.7% per year until 2028-29, slightly below historical levels. However, NHS spending is expected to grow at a faster rate than overall departmental spending, increasing by 3.0% per year over the next three years.
Inadequate capital funding has been cited as a concern for health leaders, impacting their ability to meet safety requirements for patients across various health settings, including hospitals. The NHS Confederation's poll of 182 health leaders found that nine out of ten warned of the negative consequences of insufficient funding. The Royal College of Physicians has also emphasized the need for increased medical training places to ensure a properly staffed health and social care sector.
As of August 2023, there are 930 NHS hospitals in the UK out of a total of 1,148 hospitals, including private hospitals. England has the highest number of hospitals, with 704, while Scotland has 105. The UK government has announced plans to invest £850 million in additional NHS infrastructure, including new hospital wards, intensive care units, and diagnostic centres, which will help address the imbalance between population and hospital numbers.
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NHS hospital waiting times
The NHS is the collective term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, encompassing NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. As of August 2023, there are 930 NHS hospitals across the UK, with 704 hospitals in England alone, accounting for 76% of the total. Scotland has the second-highest number of NHS hospitals at 105, followed by the South East with 137, and London with 84.
Patients can utilise the My Planned Care website and the NHS App to access information about their estimated waiting times for hospital treatment. The NHS App provides patients aged 16 and over with the average waiting time when referred to a speciality at an NHS acute trust. Additionally, the My Planned Care website allows patients to compare average waiting times for local hospitals.
If patients are likely to exceed the maximum waiting time, they have the legal right to request an alternative provider. In such cases, the hospital or integrated care board (ICB) is obligated to offer a range of suitable alternatives. If a hospital cancels a patient's operation on or after the day of admission for non-clinical reasons, they must offer another binding date within 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at a hospital of their choice.
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NHS hospital privatisation
The NHS is the collective term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, encompassing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. As of August 2023, there are 1,148 hospitals in the UK, including 930 NHS hospitals and 218 private hospitals. England has the lion's share of hospitals, with 704, while Scotland has 105, Wales has 84, and Northern Ireland has 37.
Since its inception, the NHS has always had some level of private provision. For instance, certain NHS hospitals have always had a small number of beds reserved for private patients. The first significant shift toward privatisation occurred between 1979 and 1997 under Conservative governments, with the introduction of 'GP Fundholding' and competitive tendering for support services such as cleaning and catering. This period also witnessed the emergence of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), supported by both Conservative and Labour governments.
In 1983, Margaret Thatcher's government introduced competitive tendering, outsourcing ancillary services like cleaning and catering to private companies, which led to increased hospital-acquired infections. In 1989, Thatcher's controversial 'internal market' legislation brought competition to the NHS, primarily among the newly formed NHS trusts.
Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 embraced privatisation and the Private Finance Initiative, funding 100 new NHS hospitals through PFI. While the private sector provided funding and built hospitals, the NHS ended up paying excessive charges and facing long-term debt. In total, approximately £12.7 billion was borrowed, with repayments exceeding £80 billion.
In 2003, the Blair government introduced Independent Sector Treatment Centres, marking another wave of privatisation. The Health and Social Care Act of 2012, spearheaded by Andrew Lansley, brought about significant restructuring, enabling Clinical Commissioning Groups to control spending. This legislation aimed to reduce costly hospital referrals.
In recent years, there has been controversy surrounding the outsourcing of NHS services to private companies, with concerns about poorer staffing, reduced quality of care, and increased treatable mortality. The appointment of Simon Stevens, former head of UnitedHealth, as Chief Executive of NHS England in 2014, further fuelled privatisation concerns. Stevens embedded UnitedHealth's Optum software and practices within the NHS, mirroring the American Medicare system.
The NHS has also faced criticism for its continued provision and trial of alternative medicine, with some arguing that it undermines the scientific basis of the healthcare system.
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Frequently asked questions
As of August 2023, there are 930 NHS hospitals in the UK.
There are 218 private hospitals in the UK, bringing the total number of hospitals in the UK to 1,148.
The number of hospitals per district varies. Scotland has 105 hospitals, the South West has 118, London has 84, the South East has 137, the North West has 90, the East of England has 39, Wales has 84, the West Midlands has 62, Yorkshire & Humber has 58, the North East has 47, the East Midlands has 69, and Northern Ireland has 37.
As of March 2025, there were 145,700 consultant-led beds in the NHS. This number does not include critical care beds or those where patients are under the care of a nurse rather than a consultant.
As of January 2025, there were 147,300 doctors and 392,800 nursing staff working in the NHS.
