Increasing worry about the NHS but inflation remains the public’s biggest concern

• Four in ten Britons name inflation as an important issue for Britain while a third mention the economy
• Concern about the NHS rises eight points from March, with three in ten now seeing this as a big issue for the country

The April 2023 Ipsos Issues Index shows a sharp jump in concern about the NHS, although inflation remains seen as the biggest issue facing Britain. 

Forty per cent of Britons say inflation and prices are a big concern, a similar level to that recorded in March. The proportion who see the economy as a big issue has declined by four points to 33% this month.

There has been an eight percentage-point increase in concern about the NHS this month – 29% now mention it as an issue, making it the third biggest worry for the country.

One in five of the public cite immigration as a big issue for Britain, the same level as last month and 14 percentage points higher than the level recorded in April 2022. The importance of this issue varies widely, with Conservative supporters three times as likely as Labour party supporters to mention it as a concern (36% versus 12%) and a similar gap between those aged over 65 (34%) and 18-34 year olds (11%).

Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said:

Inflation continues to be the leading concern for Britons this month but we have seen rising concern about a host of other issues. Most notably, at a time of significant healthcare strike action, concern about the NHS has increased by eight points. But worry about housing and education has also risen

Technical note
Ipsos' Issues Index is conducted monthly and provides an overview of the key issues concerning the country. Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,008 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. The answers are spontaneous responses, and participants are not prompted with any answers. 

Ipsos’ telephone omnibus was used for this survey. Interviews were conducted between 6 and 12 April 2023 across Great Britain. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.