Only 53% of people are happy with how the health service is run, this is the lowest levels since 2007.
Public satisfaction with NHS is run, the lowest level for a decade despite Theresa May’s £20.5 billion a year funding boost. Barely half of the people surveyed are happy with how the NHS runs, it is 16% lower than 2010.
Satisfaction with GP services have fallen to its lowest level. Fewer than two-thirds (63%) of people in Britain are happy with them whilst 24% say they are dissatisfied.
The survey was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), it found that there was a sharp drop in 2017. The survey also reported an increase over the past three years in the proportion of people who recognised the quality of NHS care as a reason for their satisfaction. Concerns and problems over waiting times, NHS staff shortages and inadequate funding remained the top three reasons people gave for being dissatisfied with the NHS in 2018.
Satisfaction with both inpatient and outpatient hospital services was higher among those who have used the services recently or have family and friends who have used the service. Satisfaction with NHS dentistry, accident and emergency departments and social care did not change massively between 2017 and 2018.
The survey showed that a big part of satisfaction with the NHS was among people aged 65 or older.
Ruth Robertson, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund said: ‘Despite the outpouring of public affection around the NHS’s 70th birthday and the Prime Minister’s “gift” of a funding boost, public satisfaction with how the NHS is run now stands at its lowest level in over a decade. In the short term at least, the promise of more money doesn’t appear to buy satisfaction. The public identified long-standing issues such as staff shortages and waiting times amongst the main reasons for their dissatisfaction and cash alone will not solve these.’
Professor John Appleby, Director of Research and Chief Economist at The Nuffield Trust, said: ‘Satisfaction with general practice – historically the service people were most satisfied with – has been falling for the past decade and is now at its lowest since the BSA survey began over 30 years ago. This may reflect continued strain on general practice, with mounting workloads and staff shortages and the evidence shows that people are finding it harder to get appointments than before. The NHS long-term plan expects even more of general practice – these problems will need to be addressed quickly if that vision is to be made possible.’
