Do British consider hospital a collective noun?

This is a tricky question! While "hospital" is a singular noun, the way it's used can sometimes make it seem like a collective noun. Let's break it down:

* Technically, "hospital" is not a collective noun. Collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals, or things (like "team," "flock," "army"). "Hospital" refers to a building or institution, not a collection of people.

* However, "hospital" often functions as a collective noun in informal speech. We might say things like: "The hospital is treating many patients," even though it's actually the staff within the hospital that are doing the treating.

* This is similar to how we use other singular nouns like "government" or "company" to refer to the people within them.

So, while "hospital" is technically a singular noun, its use can sometimes blur the lines and make it seem like a collective noun.

In short, there's no definitive answer! The way "hospital" is perceived might depend on the context and individual speaker's interpretation.