Satisfaction with NHS services has declined further, with fewer people agreeing the NHS is providing a good service nationally and locally

The Health Foundation has partnered with Ipsos to deliver a programme of public polling research examining expectations and perceptions of health and social care. Every 6 months, we poll a representative sample of the UK public using the UK KnowledgePanel – Ipsos’ random probability online panel.

The findings from the sixth survey (with fieldwork in May 2024) show:

• The public are less positive about the service the NHS provides than in November 2023. They are less likely to agree that their local NHS is providing them with a good service (down from 44% in in November 2023 to 37% in May 2024), or that the NHS is providing a good service nationally (down from 34% in November 2023 to 28% in May 2024). In line with November 2023, over half of the public continue to think the general standard of care provided by the NHS over the last 12 months has got worse (55%), and optimism about the future remains largely negative, with half (52%) also stating they think the standard of care will get worse over the next 12 months - in line with November 2023 (53%). 
• When asked about specific aspects of the NHS the public are less negative in comparison to previous years. For instance, there is a drop in the proportion of people who state access to GP services (57% vs. 67%) and waiting times for A&E (64% vs. 73%) have got worse in the last 12 months, compared to May 2023. 
• The level of public concern with regard to the pressures facing GP practices has increased in comparison to May 2022 (up five percentage points from 73% in May 2022 to 78% in May 2024). The public cite a lack of staff (48%) and a lack of funding (43%) as the main reasons for the current pressures. Just over half (55%) think the government should be mostly responsible for addressing the current pressures on GP practices. A small proportion of the public think the public and patients hold this responsibility, however this is higher than in May 2022 (7% vs. 4%). 
• The public are significantly less negative about changes to the general standard of social care in the last 12 months, with just half now stating that social care has got worse (50% vs. 59% in May 2023). Views about the future of social care services over the next 12 months remain largely negative with half of the public expecting the standard of care to get worse (49% - in line with 52% in May 2023).
• When it comes to staff shortages in the NHS and social care, the public’s preference is to focus on recruiting staff from within the UK. Half of the public would prefer to see the NHS focusing on training new healthcare professionals in the UK, even if it takes more time for them to start working (49%), compared with one in five who would prefer to focus on recruiting qualified healthcare professionals from overseas, who would be able to start working more quickly (22%). 
• Nearly three-quarters would prefer the government to focus on improving pay and conditions for social care workers so it can recruit and retain more social care workers from within the UK (73%), whereas just one in ten would rather the government maintain the current level of pay and conditions for social care workers, even if it means needing to recruit more social care workers from overseas (11%). 
• Looking  at public perceptions of government health interventions. There is greater support for reducing the number of retailers with license to sell tobacco to limit tobacco availability (62%) and banning advertising of unhealthy foods on TV before 9pm and online (61%). Conversely, there is more opposition for interventions linked to prevention from harm from alcohol, including banning multi-buy promotion on alcohol (35%) and applying a minimum price for a unit of alcohol (32%).
• When it comes to the cost-of-living crisis people continue to say they are keeping their homes a comfortable temperature less as a result of the cost-of-living crisis (57%), although this has declined since November 2023 (66%).

Download the slide pack from the Health Foundation's website

Technical note

The survey was conducted between 9 and 15 May 2024 using Ipsos's UK KnowledgePanel, a random probability online panel. We surveyed 2,136 people aged 16 years and older in the UK. 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. A response rate of 52.5% was achieved.

The survey covers a range of public perceptions including expectations and perceptions of the NHS and social care; views on NHS and social care staff shortages; attitudes towards GP practices; perceptions of NHS waste and funding; views on NHS net zero; and views on public health and cost-of-living.