Almost two-thirds of people are dissatisfied with the NHS, according to a major new poll which reveals a “startling collapse” in the public’s view of the health service.
The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey of more than 10,000 adults across England, Wales and Scotland found that 59 per cent of people said that they were either “quite” or “very” dissatisfied with the way the NHS runs – the highest level of dissatisfaction reported since the survey began in 1983.
Nearly one in 10 people also reported they have been harmed by the health service in recent years, with the highest levels of harm reports in hospitals.
The survey, which was carried out in autumn 2024 and has been published by the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund, shows sharp drops in satisfaction with particular services, including A&E, GPs and dentistry.
However, the findings suggest people still believe in the founding principles of the NHS and the majority believe it needs more money and staff.
Healthcare bosses warned the findings were a “wake-up call” for the NHS.
The survey found that 9.7 per cent reported that they had been caused harm by the NHS in the last three years. This includes 6.2 per cent who reported harm as a result of treatment or care and 3.5 per cent who said that lack of access to care had caused them harm, according to the survey, which took place in late 2021 and early 2022.
Of the 988 who reported physical or emotional harm, 37.6 per cent reported a “moderate impact” and 44.8 per cent said they had suffered a “severe impact” as a result.
The report authors said the last time the Labour Party was in office, public satisfaction stood at 70 per cent.
They said that level of satisfaction “feels almost unreachable in today’s more pessimistic times” and added the public’s pessimism was reflected in the government’s proclamation just weeks before the survey that the NHS was “broken”.
Interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS hospitals, Saffron Cordery said: “These figures must be a wake-up call for the NHS.
“While public support for the fundamental principles of the NHS is still rock solid, it’s clear radical action is needed across the board to restore the public’s faith in the NHS and turn the tide on falling patient satisfaction.”
The news comes following announcements by the government that it will abolish NHS England, the organisation responsible for the health service in England since 2010.
Bea Taylor, Fellow at The Nuffield Trust, one of the report’s authors, said: “Just five years after the British public were called on to “Protect the NHS” at the start of the pandemic, these findings reveal just how dismayed they are about the state of the NHS today.
“The government says the NHS is broken, and the public agreed. But support for the core principles of the NHS – free at the point of use, available to all and funded by taxation – endures despite the collapse in satisfaction.”
Responding to the survey, Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Patient safety is paramount and we are committed to ensuring all health and care is safe, effective and patient-centred.
“When things go wrong we expect NHS Boards to fulfil their statutory duty to be open with patients about what happened and to learn lessons to prevent it happening again.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson added: “We want any harm or concerns about care provided by the NHS in Wales to be reported so that it can be investigated thoroughly and openly.
“We are making the complaint process simpler so that the NHS can respond quickly to feedback, learn when things go wrong, and continuously improve the quality of care provided.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care in England said: “When things go wrong in healthcare, the NHS must learn from it and provide compassionate support for those affected, particularly the most disadvantaged or vulnerable.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS has made significant progress in strengthening patient safety – including a nationwide programme of training and education – and we recognise there is still more to do to improve care for patients by providing better access to services and reducing health inequalities.”
