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Just 29% of the British public are satisfied with how the NHS operates and with the services it provides, according to the latest British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA).
This is a drop of seven percentage points compared to the previous year (2021) and means overall satisfaction with the NHS is now at its lowest since the BSA survey began four decades ago.
Satisfaction with A&E services saw the sharpest fall
Satisfaction with GP services and A&E services are also at the lowest recorded level since the survey began. Satisfaction with A&E saw the sharpest fall, with just 30% saying they are satisfied, compared to 39% in 2021 and 54% in 2019. For GP services, the fall was less sharp, dropping from 38% in 2021 to 35% in 2022.
The Nuffield Trust says it is not difficult to understand what has sparked these falls, with waiting times targets for A&E being consistently missed since 2014, and long waits for appointments in both primary and secondary care.
Indeed, the main reasons people gave for being dissatisfied with the NHS were waiting times for hospital and GP appointments (69%), staff shortages (55%) and a view that the government does not spend enough money on the NHS (50%).
Those who were satisfied cited the reasons as: NHS care is free at the point of use (74%), the quality of care (55%) and the range of services and treatments available (49%).
Government must publish NHS workforce plan
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the findings should serve as a “red flag” to the government.
“The fact that public satisfaction with the NHS is at its lowest in 40 years should not be seen as a judgement of the efforts of frontline staff to recover services in the wake of the pandemic but rather, a sign that the NHS is not being given what it needs to fully deliver for its local communities,” he said.
With staff shortages and a view that the government does not spend enough money on the NHS being two key reasons behind the dissatisfaction, Mr Taylor says this should give “further impetus” for the government “fast track a fully funded workforce plan and provide funding increases” for the health service.
Patients will “continue to suffer” unless further funding is provided
These thoughts have been echoed by Professor Philip Banfield, BMA council chair, who says the findings can be attributed to a “lack of investment and absence of workforce planning”.
“Looking at the system as a whole, you cannot reduce waits in secondary care without materially increasing resource in both the ‘front door’ that is general practice and the ‘back door’ that is social care, as well of course, as in hospitals themselves,” he said.
Professor Banfield is now calling on the government to “get its head out the sand … and act.” He said: “In the absence of more active support and retention of staff, and properly resourced services, patients will continue to suffer. Staff can see it. The public can see it.
“This sorry state of affairs can be reversed if the will and commitment from Government is forthcoming.”