NHS hits all-time low for patient satisfaction — with half of Brits now unhappy with it
THE NHS has hit an all-time low for patient satisfaction — with half of us now unhappy with it.
Long waits at A&E and for GP appointments have shaken national confidence, an annual poll has found.
Some 51 per cent of people said they were dissatisfied with the nation’s health service.
And only 29 per cent said they were happy, with the rest still making up their minds.
The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust think-tanks surveyed attitudes to GPs, A&Es, hospitals, dentists and social care.
Satisfaction fell by seven per cent in a year and 69 per cent of people blamed their displeasure on long appointment waits.
Dan Wellings, from the King’s Fund, said: “This is as bad as I’ve ever seen in any NHS survey.
“Across the board, everything was bleak last year — and it’s worse again.
“Behind the numbers, there are people who are really struggling to get care and support for family members.
“It’s absolutely clear people love the staff and it’s still the thing that makes us proud to be British, but these results are very clear.”
A&E delays hit record levels over the winter and strikes by nurses, ambulance crews and junior doctors added to woes.
Fewer than four in ten adults have seen a dentist in the past two years and 547 GP practices have closed since 2019.
The British Social Attitudes survey questioned 3,362 people at the end of 2022.
The Department of Health said: “We are investing up to £14.1billion over the next two years to ensure patients receive the highest-quality care.”