NHS | Care and Support for Millions of People Each Year
Overview
The NHS is the publicly funded health service in England. It provides care and support for millions of people each year.
Its work covers a wide range of health services. These include GP services, hospitals, urgent care, mental health support, community care, health advice and specialist treatment.
The NHS exists to help people get care when they need it. Which is a bold idea, apparently still shocking in a world that keeps trying to make basic services complicated.
NHS England
NHS England leads the health service in England.
Its role is to help make sure people can access high-quality care across the country. It works with health and care partners, local systems, hospitals, community teams and national bodies.
NHS England supports the planning, delivery and improvement of services. It also helps set national direction, support better care and guide the way services respond to public needs.
What the NHS Does
The NHS provides and supports many services across England.
These include:
- Primary care: GP practices, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists.
- Hospital care: Planned surgery, emergency care, maternity care and specialist treatment.
- Mental health services: Support for children, young people and adults.
- Community care: Care delivered closer to home.
- Urgent and emergency care: A&E, ambulance services and urgent treatment centres.
- Public health support: Advice, prevention and health improvement.
- Digital health services: Online information, appointments, records and advice.
- Screening and vaccination: Programmes that help prevent illness and spot health issues early.
The aim is simple: to help people live healthier lives and get the right care at the right time.
Working for the NHS
The NHS is one of the largest public service employers in the UK.
It offers a wide range of roles for people with different skills and levels of experience. Not every job is clinical. Many people work in admin, digital, estates, finance, HR, communications, project work and management.
Career areas can include:
- Nursing
- Medicine
- Allied health professions
- Mental health
- Social care support
- Administration
- Human resources
- Finance
- Estates and facilities
- Digital and data
- Procurement
- Communications
- Project management
- Public health
- Governance and risk
- Strategy and policy
Why Work for the NHS?
A career with the NHS can suit people who want their work to have a clear purpose.
Many roles help improve care, support patients, improve services or keep the health system running. Some roles are based in hospitals or clinics. Others are based in offices, local communities, national teams or hybrid settings.
Working for the NHS may offer:
- Meaningful public service work
- A wide range of career paths
- Training and development
- The chance to support patients and communities
- Flexible working in some roles
- Team-based working
- Clear policies and career structures
- Access to large-scale health and care projects
NHS Values
The NHS is built around public service, care and trust.
Its values focus on respect, compassion, inclusion, quality and working together for patients. These values shape how staff support people and how services are delivered.
In practical terms, this means staff are expected to treat people with dignity, listen well, act fairly and work as part of a team. Revolutionary stuff, if only every workplace had discovered “be decent to people” before forming a committee.
NHS England as an Employer
NHS England is based in London and works across the health and care system in England.
It employs people in national, regional and local roles. These roles help support service planning, policy, performance, transformation and delivery.
People working for NHS England may support:
- National health strategy
- Service improvement
- Workforce planning
- Patient safety
- Digital change
- Data and insight
- Equality and inclusion
- Finance and commissioning
- Governance
- Public engagement
- Emergency planning
- Health system leadership
Who the NHS Works With
The NHS works with a wide range of partners.
These include:
- Hospitals and NHS trusts
- GP practices
- Local councils
- Integrated care boards
- Charities and voluntary groups
- Social care providers
- Public health teams
- Education and training bodies
- Government departments
- Patient and community groups
This joined-up approach helps services respond to local need and support people in a more connected way.
NHS Careers
The NHS offers career routes for school leavers, graduates, experienced professionals and people changing careers.
Some roles need formal clinical training. Others need strong skills in service delivery, data, leadership, finance, HR, digital systems or administration.
The NHS can be a strong choice for people who want stable work, public value and the chance to support services used by people across England.
Website
Industry
Hospitals and Health Care
Company size
5,001-10,000 employees
Headquarters
London, England
Founded
2012