This post is not about a problem, explanation, and solution.

Instead, it’s about a difference between British English and American English.

Americans and the British use “going to school” and “going to town” without a definite or indefinite article preceding the noun.

Where Americans and the British part ways is with hospitals: Americans put the definite article (“the”) in front of “hospital” whereas the British do not.

• British English: “go into hospital” or “when I was in hospital”
• American English: “go into the hospital” or “when I was in the hospital”

I don’t know the source of this difference, but it continues to fascinate me (as does the difference between “Americans” and “the British”).