Public concern about the NHS rises to its highest level post-pandemic

Despite some significant shifts, especially a decline in concern about inflation, it is the NHS, the economy and inflation, immigration and housing that will be top of mind as the new Labour government sets out its priorities according to the July 2024 Ipsos Issues Index.

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  • Michael Clemence Trends & Foresight
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  • Forty-seven per cent name the NHS as the most important issue for Britain, an increase of six points since June and the highest score since December 2019
  • Immigration is seen as a big issue for the country by 31%, the highest level since January 2017
  • Concern about inflation is down eight points from last month to its lowest score since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022

The July 2024 Issues Index, conducted immediately after the July 2024 General Election, reveals a jump in the proportion of Britons who see the NHS as the biggest issue facing the country. Almost half (47%) identify healthcare as a concern, an increase of seven percentage points since June. This is the highest level of worry about the health service in the post COVID-19 pandemic era: the previous high was recorded at the time of the 2019 General Election in December (55%).

The economy and immigration remain the second- and third-biggest issues, with 34% and 31% seeing each as a big concern for Britain. Both are close to the scores recorded last month.

However the 31% score for immigration is the highest recorded since January 2017. This is partially driven by political affiliation, with Conservative Party supporters significantly more likely to see immigration as an issue than Labour supporters (47% versus 18%).

The proportion mentioning inflation as a big issue has fallen to its lowest level since March 2022, dropping eight points to 21%. However it remains the fourth-biggest issue.

Housing remains the fifth-biggest issue, mentioned by 18% of Britons. The top five issues for the county have now been the same for five months in a row.

Ipsos Issues Index July 2024: What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today? NHS/Hospitals/Healthcare 47% Economy 34% Immigration/immigrants 31% Inflation/Prices 21% Housing 18% Education/Schools 16% Poverty/Inequality 12% Defence/Foreign affairs/ International terrorism 9% Lack of faith in politics/politicians/government 9% Pollution/ Environment/ Climate change 9% Base: 1,009 British adults 18+, 5 – 10 July 2024
Ipsos Issues Index July 2024


Mike Clemence at Ipsos said:

Public concern about the health service tends to spike at elections, and 2024 is no exception. This was also reflected in our pre-election polling which identified the NHS as the most likely issue to influence how people would vote.

Our first post-election Issues Index shows that Britain’s top issues remain broadly the same. Despite some significant shifts, especially a decline in concern about inflation, it is the NHS, the economy and inflation, immigration and housing that will be top of mind as the new Labour government sets out its priorities

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 c.1,000 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 5 - 10 July 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.
 

The author(s)
  • Michael Clemence Trends & Foresight

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