The public are largely supportive of government public health interventions
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the public support extending the indoor smoking ban to specific outside spaces to protect children and vulnerable people, including playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals. This is followed by introducing a tax on organisation that produce foods high in sugar or salt, with some of the revenue used to fund fresh fruit and vegetables for low income families (62% support) and reducing the number of retailers with licenses to sell tobacco to limit tobacco availability (61% support).
New Ipsos data collected in November 2024 for the Health Foundation as part of our policy polling programme, conducted via our UK KnowledgePanel, shows the public are largely supportive of all the government interventions asked about. The government intervention the public support the most is extending the indoor smoking ban to specific outside spaces to protect children and vulnerable people, including playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals. Men and those intending to vote Reform UK are significantly more likely to oppose all eight government interventions, whereas women are significantly more likely to support.
The public remain pessimistic about the public’s overall level of health and wellbeing over the last year but are more optimistic about the next year. Just over half (54%) think the public’s overall level of health and wellbeing got worse in the last 12 months, but 41% think it will get worse in the next year. They are more likely to think health and wellbeing will stay about the same in the next year (42%) than that it will get better (11%).
Download the slide pack from the Health Foundation's website.
Technical note
The survey was conducted between 21 and 27 November 2024 using Ipsos' UK KnowledgePanel, a random probability online panel. We surveyed 2,198 people aged 16 years and older in the UK. A response rate of 58% was achieved.
The sample was reviewed on key demographics to ensure a balanced sample was selected. Weighting was applied to the data to ensure the survey results are as representative of the UK population as possible. Calibration weighting was applied to region and an interlocked variable of Gender by Age; and demographic weights were applied to Education, Ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation (quintiles), and number of adults in the household.
The survey covers a range of public perceptions including expectations and perceptions of the NHS and social care; awareness and views of the 10 Year Health Plan; views of social care reform; view of NHS funding; views on private healthcare; views on health and work; views on public health interventions.
More insights about Public Sector
