Public satisfaction with the NHS hit an all-time low on the eve of the general election, according to new polling from Ipsos which has been published by the Health Foundation.
The research was conducted in May and suggests that only around a quarter (28%) of the public believe the NHS is delivering a good service nationally—this is six percentage points less than what was recorded late last year and the lowest since the think tank started asking this question in 2021, when the result was closer to half (44%).
Polling results
The full results for this year on whether people agree/disagree with the idea that the health service is providing a good service across the country are:
- 23%—neither agree nor disagree
- 28%—agree
- 46%—disagree
Other findings include that more than half of the respondents (52%) believe the NHS will get worse over the next year. People especially think pressures or workload on staff will worsen (65%) and waiting times for routine services (62%) will decline.
People’s top priority areas for the health service is to increase retention levels by improving working conditions (39%). Making it easier for patients to get a GP appointment (34%) and bolstering the workforce by increasing recruitment (32%) are second and third respectively.
People are also concerned about the amount of pressure within primary care—specifically in general practice (78%). This is five percentage points higher than two years ago.
Expert reaction
“The public want to see steps taken to retain NHS staff, improve GP access and recruit more people to work in the health service,” said the Health Foundation’s assistant director of policy, Tim Gardner.
He added: “The new government has made a promising start in reaching an agreement with union leaders to settle industrial action by junior doctors and NHS staff will welcome the decision to accept the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations.”
There will be no quick fixes, says Gardner, but the NHS can recover through policy change, innovation and investment.
Responding to the figures, NHS Providers' deputy CEO, Saffron Cordery, said: "It is deeply concerning that only 28 per cent of the public think the NHS is providing a good service nationally – a record low- and just as worrying that the majority of those surveyed expect the NHS, staffing pressures and waiting times to get worse over the coming year.
"NHS trust leaders are committed to restoring services and delivering high quality care."
The NHS Confederation's acute network director, Rory Deighton, said that his organisation's members understand they need to get some of the basics right. "From waiting lists to general practice access – a key issue in this polling – delivering on the core expectations of the public, we believe will give the NHS the permission to transform services in the most effective way."
He added: “The issue of transparency as to the scale of the challenges facing the NHS is a driver for Lord Darzi's review commissioned by the government, which should produce an honest assessment of the issues our members face every day and is to be welcomed."
Image credit: iStock
![[Left to right] Prof. Ronan Killeen - Consultant Radiologist at St. Vincent's Private Hospital, Andy Wilks - Head of Enterprise Services for Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, Edel O’Keeffe - Director of Finance at St. Vincent's Private Hospital, Ghada Trotabas - Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, Brian Fitzgerald - Chief Executive Officer of St. Vincent's Private Hospital with Grania Heal – Country Head for Ireland at Siemens Healthineers, and Rob Ruttledge](/sites/nhe/files/styles/teaser/public/2024-09/Press%20release%20image-24.jpg?itok=gHKP-rtG)
