Health Care in England

Healthcare in England is mainly provided by England's public health service, the National Health Service, that provides healthcare to all UK permanent residents that is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation. Though the public system dominates healthcare provision there is no restriction on the operations of private medical providers or insurers. Private health care and a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatments are available for those with health insurance or willing to pay directly themselves. Medical insurers do not usually cover chronic illnesses though there is no restriction on them doing so and only the services of specialists are usually compensatable by the contracts offered.