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Public Dissatisfaction with NHS Hits Record High, Survey Reveals
Public satisfaction with the National Health Service (NHS) has plummeted to a historic low, with a concerning number of adults expressing unhappiness, according to a recent survey. The poll indicates widespread discontent with NHS healthcare services, driven by lengthy waiting times and perceived inefficiencies. This decline in patient satisfaction highlights significant challenges facing the UK’s health system.
Widespread Frustration Over NHS Waiting Times and Resource Allocation
The survey pinpoints long delays for appointments with general practitioners (GPs), dentists, and hospital beds as key factors fueling public frustration. Respondents also cited shortages of frontline medical personnel and concerns over inefficient spending by administrators as contributing to their negative perceptions of the NHS.
The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, a respected benchmark for gauging public sentiment, revealed that 59% of adults are now dissatisfied with the NHS. This marks a seven percentage point increase in dissatisfaction compared to the previous year, reaching the highest level recorded since the survey’s inception in 1983.
Conversely, only 21% of adults reported satisfaction with the health service, a decrease from 24% the year before and the lowest satisfaction rate ever documented by the poll.
Sharp Decline in NHS Satisfaction Since Pandemic
The BSA survey highlights a dramatic 39 percentage point drop in overall NHS satisfaction since 2019, the year preceding the pandemic. In that pre-pandemic period, a majority, 60% of adults, expressed satisfaction with the NHS. The latest findings, based on responses from 2,945 adults across England, Scotland, and Wales in autumn 2024, are published today by the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund think tanks.
Mark Dayan, policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, commented on the findings, stating, “These figures clearly demonstrate a startling collapse in NHS satisfaction since 2019 and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.” He emphasized the sustained nature of this decline, adding, “This was no aberration: it is continuing even today. It represents the most significant erosion of public confidence in the NHS’s operational effectiveness in the 40-year history of this survey.”
Political Reactions and Proposed NHS Reforms
The survey data appears to resonate with recent remarks from political figures. Both Sir Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have characterized the NHS as “broken” following the Labour victory in the July 2024 general election.
In a move to address these issues, the Prime Minister recently announced plans to dismantle NHS England, aiming to reduce waste, enhance efficiency, and reallocate funds towards frontline patient care. This restructuring is projected to result in approximately 9,300 job losses, with some responsibilities being transferred to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Public Concerns Over NHS Efficiency and Staffing
Concerns about resource management within the NHS are evident in the survey results. Only 14% of respondents agreed with the statement that “the NHS spends the money it has efficiently,” amidst growing scrutiny of management roles and diversity initiatives.
Specific Areas of Dissatisfaction:
- GP Appointments: 62% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the waiting times for GP appointments.
- Hospital Appointments: 65% were dissatisfied with delays in securing hospital appointments.
- A&E Waits: 69% voiced discontent with waiting times in Accident & Emergency departments.
Furthermore, a significant majority, 72%, disagreed with the notion that there are sufficient staff within the NHS, with only 11% expressing agreement.
Enduring Support for NHS Core Principles
Despite the widespread dissatisfaction with current NHS performance, the survey revealed strong public support for the foundational principles of the NHS. An overwhelming 90% of adults continue to support the principle of free healthcare at the point of use, and 80% remain in favor of funding the NHS through general taxation.
A&E and GP Services Face Lowest Satisfaction
A&E services now register the lowest satisfaction levels among all NHS services for the first time. A record 52% of adults are dissatisfied with A&E, while only 19% are satisfied, representing a 12-point decrease to a historic low.
Satisfaction with GP services is also at a record low, with fewer than one-third (31%) of respondents satisfied. Conversely, almost half (49%) expressed dissatisfaction with GP provisions.
NHS dentistry continues to experience a “collapse in satisfaction,” reaching a record low of 20%, a significant drop from 60% in 2019. Dissatisfaction with dental services has reached a record high of 55%.
In contrast, inpatient and outpatient hospital care registered the highest levels of satisfaction among NHS services. Overall, 51% of the public expressed satisfaction with the quality of NHS care.
However, satisfaction with social care remains critically low at just 13%.
A record three in five adults are now unhappy with the NHS following a ‘startling collapse’ in public satisfaction, a damning survey reveals.
Britons blame their frustrations on long waits for a GP, dentist and hospital bed, a shortage of frontline staff and bureaucrat’s wasteful spending.
Reactions from Stakeholders
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat’s health and social care spokesperson, described the situation, stating patients are “at their wits end with a health service that has left people being treated in hospital corridors, or pulling out their own teeth through lack of a dentist.”
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, an organization representing NHS trusts, emphasized the urgency of the findings, saying, “These figures must be a wake-up call for the NHS.”
Mr. Streeting responded to the survey by affirming his commitment to the NHS, “The British public’s belief in the founding principles of the NHS remains unshaken, and I am proud to be part of a government that shares that commitment as we deliver our plan for change to make our NHS the envy of the world once again.”
A spokesperson for NHS England acknowledged the challenges, stating that staff have “worked hard to improve services over the past year” while recognizing that patients are “understandably frustrated” with waiting times. The spokesperson conceded, “we know we have much further to go to deliver the care patients expect.”