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Understanding NHS patient care

The NHS healthcare system is made up of primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Knowing what care systems do can help you better understand where you are when navigating the system.

Primary care
Primary care is the first point of contact providing general healthcare services and addressing a wide range of basic health needs. Primary care includes your doctor or general practitioner (GP), pharmacists (chemists), dentists, optometrists, and community nurses and health visitors. They diagnose and treat common illnesses, provide preventive care (eg: vaccinations, health screenings), health advice, routine check-ups, and refer to specialist services (secondary or tertiary care) if/ when needed.

Secondary care
Secondary care includes specialised medical care including consultants in hospitals, mental health services and outpatient clinics. They handle more complex health issues that primary care cannot address, including diagnostic tests and surgeries, and provide inpatient or outpatient care.
Examples include HIV care, cardiologists for a suspected heart condition, outpatient clinics for scan or x-ray and some surgical procedures.

Tertiary care
Tertiary care is the highest level of specialised medical care, focusing on complex, advanced treatments and procedures. This includes specialised consultants and medical teams, regional or national centres of excellence (eg: cancer/ transplants), cutting-edge/ experimental treatments, advanced surgical procedures/ therapies and/ or rare/ complex medical conditions. Typically, tertiary care requires a referral from secondary care. Examples include cancer treatment, neurosurgery for brain or spinal cord conditions, advanced cardiac surgery, organ transplants, and specialised intensive care units (ICUs).