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An alternative guide to the new NHS in England

In recent years, our health system has undergone profound change, with the 2012 Health and Social Care Act introducing the most wide-ranging reforms since the NHS was founded in 1948.

Watch and listen to our animation, which gives a whistle-stop tour of the NHS – how the organisations work and fit together – and explains that our system is as much a product of politics and circumstance as design.

This animation was created in 2013.  Please watch our updated version, How does the NHS in England work? An alternative guide, which was published in October 2017.

Watch the animation

Updates to the way the system works as of April 2016

More about this animation

The inspiration for the animation was a session delivered to groups of clinicians as part of our leadership development programmes. Clinicians told us how useful the session was – whilst being experts in their own part of the health system, they were less clear about how the whole, complex system fits together. Our animation aims to bring the essence of this session to a wider audience – an introduction to the new NHS in 6.5 minutes. Find out more about our leadership development courses.