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NHS Scotland (sometimes '''NHSScotland''') is the official corporate style of the National Health Service in Scotland Style used in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. The National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland is one of the original three national health systems created in the United Kingdom after World War II ; it remains a separate body from the other systems although co-ordination and co-operation with the other systems in the UK tends to hide the organisational separation from their users where "cross-border" or emergency care is involved. Healthcare policy and funding is now the responsibility of the Scottish Executive 's Health Department . The chief civil servant in the Scottish Executive Health Department is also Chief Executive of NHS Scotland. ORIGINS AND HISTORY The service was founded by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 (since repealed by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 ). This Act did not originate free public health services in Scotland (which had already existed in some form for many years without universal application) but provided a uniform national structure for services which had previously been provided by a combination of local government, charities and private organisations which in general was only free for emergency use. The new system was funded from central taxation and did not generally involve a charge at the time of use for services concerned with existing medical conditions or vaccinations carried out as a matter of general public health requirements; prescription charges were a later introduction in 1951. HEALTH BOARDS Current provision of healthcare is the responsibility of 14 geographically-based local NHS Boards and a number of Special Health Boards . Since April 2004 there are no longer any NHS Trust s in Scotland; instead, the hospitals not managed by Special Health Boards are managed by, and GPs contracted in by, the local NHS Board. Provision of community health care and most mental health care is also the responsibility of local Boards.
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