Healthwatch England's response to the latest British Social Attitudes Survey results
On 27 March 2024, the Nuffield Trust and the King's Fund published the latest British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) results.
According to the latest findings, public satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded, and for the first time in the 41-year history of the survey, less than a quarter of people are satisfied with how the NHS is running.
Key highlights
- Satisfaction with the NHS now stands at 24% – a fall of 5 percentage points from the previous year.
- Dissatisfaction is also at an all-time high, with more than half (52%) of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the NHS.
- The main reasons for dissatisfaction include long waits for hospital or GP appointments, staff shortages, and opinions on lack of funding.
- Public satisfaction with social care has fallen to 13%, the lowest level since the survey began.
Despite record low levels of satisfaction with the NHS, public support for the founding principles of the NHS, which marked its 75th anniversary in 2023, is as strong as ever.
Healthwatch England Chief Executive, Louise Ansari, said:
"It is incredibly worrying that public satisfaction with the NHS and social care services has slid from already record-low levels. However, this is not surprising - Unfortunately, many of the concerns highlighted in this report are reflected in the stories people share with Healthwatch teams across the country.
"We've also heard stories about excellent care from kind and respectful staff. But too often, accessing support in the first place remains challenging."
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