Population (mio.): 66.9 (per 2022)
GDP per capita (US$/EUR): 46,125/42,400 (per 2022)
Healthcare expenditure % of GDP: 11.34% (per 2022)
Healthcare expenditure per capita (US$/EUR): 5,492/5,048 (per 2022)
Healthcare model and general information on healthcare system (financing, stakeholders, insurance): The UK healthcare system is primarily funded through general taxation and National Insurance contributions. Healthcare is free at the point of use via the National Health Service (NHS) and all individuals are eligible to access primary, hospital & emergency care, mental health services and prescription drugs free of charge.
Funding flows come from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to NHS England (body that provides national leadership and oversight for the health service), which allocates funding for the NHS through integrated care boards. About 10 % of the UK population holds voluntary supplemental insurance to receive quicker access to elective procedures.
Read more about the healthcare system in the UK here.
Cooperation between the U.K. and Denmark: Denmark and the United Kingdom has established peer-to-peer cooperation at ministry and agency level within the health sector. The cooperation contributes to solving global health challenges by sharing experiences, best practices and public-private solutions within three priority areas: Health innovation and data, sustainability and emerging health threats, and prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. The cooperation also serves as a platform for enhancing engagement of the Danish private sector in providing health sector solutions in the partner country.
The Danish-UK health cooperation is led by the Ministry of the Interior and Health of Denmark and the Danish embassy in the United Kingdom in collaboration with the Danish Health Authority, Statens Serum Institute, and the Danish National Genome Center. UK partners are: the Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, Genomics England, and NHS England. The cooperation is financed under the Danish Strategy for Life Science
Professor Tim Kendall, National Clinical Lead for New Models of Mental Health, Mental Health NHS England
Professor Tim Kendall is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Mental Health. He directed the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists for 15 years and has been a Visiting Professor at University College London for eight years.
As Medical Director at Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, he improved acute and crisis care pathways, eliminated out of area treatments, and developed community-based personality disorder services
Director, National Healthcare Inequalities Programme, NHS England
Professor Bola Owolabi is the Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England and a GP in the Midlands. She focuses on reducing healthcare inequalities through integrated care models, service transformation, and data insights.
Bola has held various leadership roles across the UK at local, system, and national levels. She leads NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 initiative.
Bola was the UK representative on the Commonwealth Fund/Academy Health Tour 2023, exploring equity in national health policy across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
She holds a master’s degree with Distinction in Leadership (Quality Improvement) and NHS Leadership Academy Award in Executive Healthcare Leadership for Clinicians.
Chief Executive, The Health Foundation
Dr. Jennifer Dixon has been Chief Executive of the Health Foundation since 2013. She has led the Nuffield Trust and served as Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. Jennifer has a Master’s in Public Health, a PhD in health services research, and has held board positions, led national inquiries, and served as a visiting professor. Jennifer was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2009 and a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019. In 2024, she was awarded a damehood.
Co-Chair of the Office for Life Sciences and UK Government’s Mental Health Mission
Kathryn Abel is Professor of Psychological Medicine and Reproductive Psychiatry at the University of Manchester. She is Director of the Centre for Women’s Mental Health within the Division of Psychology and Mental Health, an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, and has been at the forefront of policy and service developments for women in mental health services.
Abel developed an e-learning tool to improve reproductive health in patients with mental illness and she leads a group of 15 researchers.
Editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal
Dr. Kamran Abbasi is the editor-in-chief of The BMJ, a physician, journalist, and broadcaster. He began his career in hospital medicine, specializing in psychiatry and cardiology, before joining The BMJ in 1997, where he served as deputy editor. After a period as executive editor, he was appointed editor-in-chief in 2021. Dr. Abbasi has also held editorial roles at the WHO and PLOS Medicine, created e-learning resources for doctors, and consulted for major organizations. He is a visiting professor at Imperial College London and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. Throughout his career, Dr. Abbasi has also held board level positions and been chief executive of an online learning company. Finally, he has also worked as a consultant for several major organisations including Harvard University, the World Health Organization, and McKinsey & Co.
