<P> As in Scandinavia , healthcare in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter , meaning England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales each have their own systems of private and publicly funded healthcare , generally referred to as the National Health Service ( NHS ) . With largely private providers , this also fits into the ' Beveridge Model ' of health care systems , sometimes considered to be single - payer , although unlike Scandinavia , there is a more significant role for both private coverage and providers . Each country 's having different policies and priorities has resulted in a variety of differences existing between the systems . That said , each country provides public healthcare to all UK permanent residents that is free at the point of use , being paid for from general taxation . </P>
who pays medical bills in great britain where does the money come from to pay these bills
free at the point of use , being paid for from general taxation