We do pay for it of course as our taxes are very high, roughly you lose about 60% of your wages for the average earner, we pay a graduated income tax plus national insurance, then everything you buy is taxed after that. The NHS was formed to give basic healthcare to the population, however as science has progressed people now expect every treatment available to be free. So no government dares to interfere as it is political dynamite, consequently it is underfunded and has a hopeless management system. The managers, who are generally non medical, earn vast salaries compared to the medical staff. The medical staff leave to work abroad where they can earn much more and there is a constant struggle for staff, The system staggers along, but is not nearly as advanced and efficient as that in other modern countries. That said the British people are extremely fond of the NHS and it still serves the population well.