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postcode lottery

British

noun

a situation in which the standard of medical care, education, etc, received by the public varies from area to area, depending on the funding policies of various health boards, local authorities, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said she was deeply concerned about the "postcode lottery" faced by too many children.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Campaigner Emma Metcalfe said the situation in County Armagh and the surrounding areas had created "a postcode lottery" because people have to rely on capacity at other trusts or fund their own placements.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The Southern Trust is the only trust in Northern Ireland without an inpatient addiction rehabilitation facility, which campaigners have said has created a "postcode lottery".

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The under-diagnosis is well-documented and regional variation in NHS commissioning creates a postcode lottery.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2026

Dr Howells said clinic staff had needed to intervene on a patient's behalf with employers, housing associations, family courts and police - describing understanding of the law around medical cannabis as a "postcode lottery".

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023