Department of Health (United Kingdom)

The Department of Health (pronunciation: /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt ɒv hɛlθ/) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for government policy on health and social care matters. It also oversees the National Health Service in England.

Etymology

The term "Department of Health" is derived from the English words "department" (a division of a large organization such as a government, university, business, or shop, dealing with a specific subject, commodity, or area of activity) and "health" (the state of being free from illness or injury).

Related Terms

National Health Service: The publicly funded healthcare system in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the United Kingdom. It is the largest single-payer healthcare system in the world.

Government of the United Kingdom: The central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Healthcare in the United Kingdom: The publicly funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom, which provides "free at the point of delivery" healthcare to all UK residents.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: The UK government cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.

Public Health England: An executive agency of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom that began operating on 1 April 2013. Its formation came as a result of reorganisation of the National Health Service (NHS) in England outlined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.