Public perceptions of providing feedback on NHS services

New survey findings from NHS England, based on research conducted by Ipsos, reveal mixed public perceptions of NHS feedback mechanisms, with many people unconvinced that patient feedback leads to meaningful change.

NHS England and Ipsos have published new survey findings exploring public attitudes towards providing feedback and making complaints about NHS services.

The survey found that while half of adults in England (50%) agree that it is easy for people to provide feedback on the services they receive from the NHS, only one-third (33%) agree that the NHS acts on feedback from patients.

The findings also highlight public concerns about whether feedback results in improvements:

  • Half (50%) agree it is easy for people to provide feedback on NHS services, while 41% disagree.
  • One-third (33%) agree that the NHS acts on feedback it receives from patients, compared with 46% who disagree.
  • Around six in ten (59%) say they would feel comfortable making a complaint about an NHS hospital.
  • A similar proportion (59%) say they would feel comfortable making a complaint about a GP practice.

The findings suggest that while many people feel able to share feedback and raise concerns, there is lower confidence that feedback is acted upon. 

Download the survey tables here.

Technical note

The findings are from an online survey of 2,386 adults aged 16 and over in England conducted by Ipsos between 2 and 8 July 2026 on behalf of NHS England.

The survey was conducted using Ipsos UK KnowledgePanel, a probability-based online panel recruited using random sampling methods. An additional boost sample of respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds was included. Data were weighted to ensure the results are representative of the adult population in England by age, gender, region, deprivation, education, ethnicity and household composition.

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