Since 1983, the British Social Attitudes survey has recorded the public’s views and satisfaction with the National Health Service (NHS). The survey is conducted by the National Centre for Social Research and it is seen as a gold standard measure of public attitudes, capturing important insights regarding how the public view their health and social care services.

 

The overall satisfaction with the NHS now stands at 29% - a 7% decrease from the previous years (2021). The drop reflects the public’s growing frustration with the health service. Over two-thirds of respondents (69%) selected long waiting times for GP and hospital appointments as the primary reason for their lack of satisfaction.

 

Other primary reasons for the public’s dissatisfaction related to dentistry services (42%), staff shortages, and a view that the government does not spend enough money on the NHS. Additionally, around 40% of respondents felt dissatisfied with A&E services.

 

Despite these results, the public continue to demonstrate their ongoing support for the founding principles underpinning the NHS. Of the respondents who were satisfied with the NHS, the main reasons pertained to the NHS care being free at the point of use (74%), followed by the quality of care the NHS delivers (55%) and the range of services and treatments available (49%).

 

The fall in satisfaction was seen across all ages, income groups, sexes and supporters of different political parties. It is important to note that the results from the survey should not be seen a judgement on the efforts of frontline staff, but it should rather highlight that the NHS might not be given the support and resources it requires to deliver to the public’s needs and meet the rising demand for care.

 

As Dan Wellings, report author and Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said, “Even with satisfaction dropping to its lowest ever level, support for the founding principles of the NHS remains strong. The public do not want a different model of healthcare, they just want the current model to work” (Nuffield Trust 2023).

 

Source: The King’s Fund

Image Credit: iStock

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References:

British Social Attitudes: Satisfaction with the NHS falls to the lowest level ever recorded (2023) Nuffield Trust



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BSA, Survey ,Records, Public Satisfaction, NHS Since 1983, the British Social Attitudes survey has recorded the public’s views and satisfaction with the National Health Service (NHS). The survey is c...