National Health Service

American  

[nash-uh-nl helth sur-vis, nash-nuhl] / ˈnæʃ ə nl ˈhɛlθ ˌsɜr vɪs, ˈnæʃ nəl /

noun

1. Great Britain’s publicly funded network of healthcare systems: often used in the United Kingdom as an umbrella term that also includes the Health and Social Care of Northern Ireland. NHS

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National Health Service British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: NHS.  (in Britain) the system of national medical services since 1948, financed mainly by taxation

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Etymology

Origin of National Health Service

First recorded in 1880–85 as a recommendation; established in 1946

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

National Health Service

The National Health Service, which Streeting oversaw until he quit earlier this month, was one of the principal beneficiaries.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

Wales -- the cradle of Britain's revered National Health Service and a former industrial powerhouse -- has been a Labour Party stronghold for well over a century.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

To avoid this outcome, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service discourages anyone over 10 years of age from consuming more than 30 grams of added sugars a day.

From Slate ● Mar. 5, 2026

They are the first randomized controlled trial of the test, which followed more than 140,000 healthy people in England’s National Health Service over three years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

I suppose Hollywood isn’t really talking about the kind of therapist you get referred to on the National Health Service.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins