Breadcrumb Home Projects The NHS in a nutshell This content relates to the following topics: Share this content Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Print this page Essential facts and figures to understand the NHS, health and social care in England. Data visualisationThe NHS budget and how it has changed What is the NHS budget and how is it funded? Find out in our nutshell. Data visualisationHow the NHS is funded The NHS is mainly funded from general taxation and National Insurance contributions. Data visualisationSocial care in a nutshell Currently, unlike NHS services, social care is not free at the point of use. Find out who is eligible for publicly funded social care, how many people have requested support, and how many people's needs are not being met. Data visualisationHealth inequalities in a nutshell Health inequalities are avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people. Here we examine the key data on this complex and wide-ranging issue. Data visualisationWaiting times for elective (non-urgent) treatment: referral to treatment (RTT) Waiting times consistently rank as one of the public’s main concerns with the NHS. Here we explore how long patients are waiting for treatment and what impact Covid-19 has had on the numbers. Data visualisationAccident and emergency (A&E) waiting times Accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times are one of the most high-profile indicators of how hospitals are performing. How is A&E performance measured and what influences how long people wait? Data visualisationWhat are diagnostics, and how are diagnostics services performing? Diagnostics are tests or procedures used to identify a patient’s disease or condition. Demand for diagnostics has been increasing steadily in over the past decade as hospital referrals and attendances have risen. Data visualisationNHS workforce We know the NHS is facing a workforce crisis, but how many people work in the NHS in England, and what do they do? Data visualisationPatient waiting times The time it takes for a patient to be seen or treated by a particular service or health practitioner is often used as one measure of quality of care. Read our new patient waiting times nutshell. Data visualisationThe number of hospital beds A shift in national policy towards providing care outside of hospital has seen a reduction in the number of hospital beds. How has the number of hospital beds in England changed over time and how does this compare to other countries? Data visualisationCapital investment in the NHS Capital investment accounts for a small share of total health spending (just under 6 per cent in 2020/21 – excluding spending directly related to Covid-19) but is essential to delivering high quality care Data visualisationNHS trusts in deficit As part of the new five-year funding deal announced for the NHS in 2018, national NHS bodies have said that no trusts should be in deficit by 2023/24. Have they met the target? Data visualisationSpending on public health Public health services are critical for preventing disease, reducing health inequalities and improving the population’s health, for example, through helping people to quit smoking or supporting efforts to improve air quality. Data visualisationInternational recruitment in adult social care With record vacancies in adult social care, the international workforce is more vital than ever for the sector to function. It is essential that issues around pay, conditions and other factors that drive poor retention rates are addressed, as well as a continuing supply of international staff is also important to meeting social care service demand. Data visualisationInternational recruitment in the NHS The NHS is more reliant than ever on its international workforce, but even with these staff, vacancies remain high. Data visualisationActivity in the NHS Over the past 10 years, it has often been stated that the NHS treats more than a million people every 36 hours, but is that still true? We analyse NHS activity pre-Covid-19 and explore some of the underlying trends that lie behind these headline statistics.
Data visualisationThe NHS budget and how it has changed What is the NHS budget and how is it funded? Find out in our nutshell.
Data visualisationHow the NHS is funded The NHS is mainly funded from general taxation and National Insurance contributions.
Data visualisationSocial care in a nutshell Currently, unlike NHS services, social care is not free at the point of use. Find out who is eligible for publicly funded social care, how many people have requested support, and how many people's needs are not being met.
Data visualisationHealth inequalities in a nutshell Health inequalities are avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people. Here we examine the key data on this complex and wide-ranging issue.
Data visualisationWaiting times for elective (non-urgent) treatment: referral to treatment (RTT) Waiting times consistently rank as one of the public’s main concerns with the NHS. Here we explore how long patients are waiting for treatment and what impact Covid-19 has had on the numbers.
Data visualisationAccident and emergency (A&E) waiting times Accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times are one of the most high-profile indicators of how hospitals are performing. How is A&E performance measured and what influences how long people wait?
Data visualisationWhat are diagnostics, and how are diagnostics services performing? Diagnostics are tests or procedures used to identify a patient’s disease or condition. Demand for diagnostics has been increasing steadily in over the past decade as hospital referrals and attendances have risen.
Data visualisationNHS workforce We know the NHS is facing a workforce crisis, but how many people work in the NHS in England, and what do they do?
Data visualisationPatient waiting times The time it takes for a patient to be seen or treated by a particular service or health practitioner is often used as one measure of quality of care. Read our new patient waiting times nutshell.
Data visualisationThe number of hospital beds A shift in national policy towards providing care outside of hospital has seen a reduction in the number of hospital beds. How has the number of hospital beds in England changed over time and how does this compare to other countries?
Data visualisationCapital investment in the NHS Capital investment accounts for a small share of total health spending (just under 6 per cent in 2020/21 – excluding spending directly related to Covid-19) but is essential to delivering high quality care
Data visualisationNHS trusts in deficit As part of the new five-year funding deal announced for the NHS in 2018, national NHS bodies have said that no trusts should be in deficit by 2023/24. Have they met the target?
Data visualisationSpending on public health Public health services are critical for preventing disease, reducing health inequalities and improving the population’s health, for example, through helping people to quit smoking or supporting efforts to improve air quality.
Data visualisationInternational recruitment in adult social care With record vacancies in adult social care, the international workforce is more vital than ever for the sector to function. It is essential that issues around pay, conditions and other factors that drive poor retention rates are addressed, as well as a continuing supply of international staff is also important to meeting social care service demand.
Data visualisationInternational recruitment in the NHS The NHS is more reliant than ever on its international workforce, but even with these staff, vacancies remain high.
Data visualisationActivity in the NHS Over the past 10 years, it has often been stated that the NHS treats more than a million people every 36 hours, but is that still true? We analyse NHS activity pre-Covid-19 and explore some of the underlying trends that lie behind these headline statistics.
