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Healthcare in the UK is based on a form of decentralization. As healthcare in the UK is a devolved matter, all of UK's devolved territories have their separate healthcare legislation and their own private public healthcare system.

Except for England, in 1997 UK's devolved government was created in Wales and Scotland. Later, in 1998-1999, the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly were created.

Thus, there are 4 national executives in charge of healthcare: The UK Government is responsible for healthcare in England, the Northern Ireland Executive is in charge in Northern Ireland, The Scottish Government provides healthcare for Scotland and the Welsh Assembly Government is responsible for healthcare in Wales.

Public healthcare is provided to all of UK's certified citizens, at almost no cost, using financial funding from general taxation. The UK operates with an organized healthcare system, using non-membership organizations that are established on the basis of legal mandate.

Such regulatory bodies are the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Beside these systems, the UK healthcare also benefits from alternative and holistic medicine and other equivalent treatments.

The UK is constantly striving to reach EU standards, now spending approximately 8.4% of GDP on healthcare (0.5% points below the OECD average and about 1% point below the EU average). Based on a World Health Organization Statistic, in 2000 the UK is placed at number 15 in the best European healthcare providers list and at number 18 in the best worldwide providers of healthcare list.