Public Attitudes To Public Services

MORI conducted a survey for the Cabinet Office in March this year on attitudes to public services. Key findings include:

Satisfaction with different public services is higher locally than it is nationally. For example, 78% say they are satisfied with their GP in their local area, compared with 70% satisfied with GPs nationally. This finding of higher satisfaction locally than nationally is true of all public services we asked about: primary schools, secondary schools, bus services, train services, police, GPs and NHS hospitals.

MORI prompted people with 'delivery facts' in education, criminal justice, asylum and immigration, transport and health services and asked whether they thought these had been achieved or not over the last few years. Most delivery facts are not widely believed. 17 of 22 positive delivery facts are believed by less than half of the public. As examples, only 36% of the public believe there is faster access to treatment in NHS hospitals, 22% that there are thousands more teachers, 26% that more people are using buses and 20% that crime is falling.

While the public may not be convinced that delivery has been achieved, these facts do reflect their priorities. When asked to rate the importance of individual delivery facts on a scale of 1-10, most receive mean scores of 8 or higher. Key priorities in different sectors are reducing the number of violent crimes (9.2) reducing numbers of people dying from cancer and heart disease and speeding up treatment for breast cancer patients (both mean 9.0), reducing the numbers killed or seriously injured on the roads (8.6) and increasing the numbers of teachers in schools (8.1).

Topline Results

• MORI interviewed 1,000 British adults, aged 18+, between 26-29 March 2004
• Interviews were conducted by telephone
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population
• Where percentages do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't know" categories, or multiple answers.
• An asterisk (*) denotes a value greater than zero but less than half a per cent
• Base size is 1,000 unless otherwise stated

Q1 On balance, do you feel that the NHS is getting better or worse, or staying about the same?

Q2 On balance, do you feel that the quality of education is getting better or worse, or staying about the same?

Q3 On balance, do you feel that the quality of the police service is getting better or worse, or staying about the same?

Q4 On balance, do you feel that the way the asylum and immigration system works is getting better or worse, or staying about the same?

Q5 On balance, do you feel that public transport is getting better or worse, or staying about the same?

Q6-12) I am going to read out a list of public services. From what you know or have heard, please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the way each service is provided for Britain as a whole.

Q13-19) I am going to read out a list of public services. From what you know or have heard, please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the way each service is provided in your local area.

Q20-25) I am going to read out a list of issues that some people say are priorities for Britain. For each one, I would like you to tell me how important, if at all, you personally think it is that each one is achieved. For each, please give a number from 1 to 10, where 1 means you think it is not at all important and 10 that it is absolutely essential that it is achieved.

Now thinking about the NHS:

Now thinking about education:

Q31-36 Now thinking about crime and asylum:

Q37-42 Now thinking about transport:

Q43-68) I am now going to read out a number of statements about how Britain's public services have changed over the last few years. For each one, I would like you to tell me whether you think it is true or false.

Please tell me whether you or anyone in your household has used or contacted any of the following public services in the last 12 months.