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Public satisfaction with the NHS has hit a new low, according to the long-running British Social Attitudes survey.
Just 21% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2024, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns.
Satisfaction rates have dropped sharply since the pandemic – in 2019, 60% were satisfied – with NHS leaders warning the findings should act as wake-up call for the health service.
The poll – the gold-standard measure of the public’s view of the health service – has been running since 1983.
Nearly 3,000 people from England, Wales and Scotland were asked for their views last autumn.
There have been particularly sharp falls in satisfaction with three core services:
- 19% satisfied with A&E, compared to 54% in 2019
- 20% satisfied with dentistry, compared to 60% in 2019
- 31% satisfied with GP services, compared to 68% in 2019
The public in Wales were the most dissatisfied with the NHS.
Satisfaction with social care, which covers care homes and help in the home, was lower still, with just 13% saying they were satisfied – the same as last year.
‘Horrific ordeal’
James Cullinane, 41, from Luton, is someone who has become frustrated with the state of GP care.
He said he struggles to get an appointment when he needs one for himself or his children – his 11-year-old son suffers with allergies.
“They constantly tell you to phone back every morning at 8am to see if there’s appointments available – and there generally never are.”