In the USA, local taxes pay for police, local and state taxes pay for schools and community hospitals are locally run by private or local/state entities.  Brits who know nothing about the different roles our Constitution assigns to the Feds, the states and to the people should probably not chime in.
Rationed healthcare (Britain) does not make "free" health care worth having. Inaccessible due to rationing or inaccessible due to personal finances is STILL inaccessible. No moral high ground there for a Brit to crow about.
Rat infested, poorly equipped, poorly stocked, disintegrating hospitals with unethical, self enriching administrative staffs are not "quality" health care facilities.  Walter Reed and VA Hospital neglect are cases in point of what Federalized health care is likely to look like here in the USA. I understand your NHS suffers the same problems.