Public satisfaction with NHS falls dramatically
People are significantly less happy with the way the NHS is being run than they were a year ago as the spending squeeze tightens, according to a new poll.
Satisfaction with the NHS has fallen from 70 per cent in 2010 to 58 per cent in 2011, the British Social Attitudes survey shows.
Authors of the report, published by the King’s Fund, said the drop was the biggest fall in one year since the survey began in 1983.
King’s Fund chief economist John Appleby said the findings were “something of a shock”.
The study, which questioned 1,096 people about their views on health care between July and November last year, found that satisfaction with GPs dropped slightly from 77-73 per cent in 2011.
This will be a concern to the government, given it appears to be closely linked with the debate on its NHS reforms. John Appleby, King’s Fund
It also found slight drops in satisfaction with inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency services. But satisfaction with NHS dental services improved by five percentage points – from 51 to 56 per cent.
Mr Appleby said: “The value of this survey is that it has tracked public satisfaction over a long period, providing an important barometer of how the public view the NHS.
‘Shock’
“The run of year-on-year increases in NHS satisfaction had to come to an end at some stage, and it is not surprising this has happened when the NHS is facing a well-publicised spending squeeze.
“Nevertheless, it is something of a shock that it has fallen so significantly. This will be a concern to the government, given it appears to be closely linked with the debate on its NHS reforms.”
Health Minister Simon Burns said: “Our latest survey of over 70,000 patients shows that an overwhelming majority – 92 per cent – say that their overall experience of the NHS was good, very good or excellent.
“The British Social Attitudes survey targets the general public rather than targeting people that have actually used the NHS, so responses are influenced by other factors. By its nature, it is not as accurate a picture as the data from patients.
“Our own polling of the general public, undertaken independently by Mori, shows that satisfaction with the NHS is broadly stable at around 70 per cent over a similar and more recent time period.”
Reforms
Although the NHS is receiving small real-terms increases in funding from the government, it has also been asked to make £20bn of efficiency savings. At the same time, it is implementing reforms which endured a tortuous passage through parliament.
Another issue for the government is impending industrial action by doctors over changes to public sector pensions.
