Only one in 10 people feel the UK Government has the right policies for the NHS, polling finds 

Polling out today from Ipsos and the Health Foundation shows support for the UK Government’s handling of the NHS among people in England is the lowest in two decades.

The poll, ‘Public perceptions of the NHS: a winter of discontent’, reveals that across the entirety of the UK, only one-tenth of people agree that their government has the right policies for the NHS. This shrinks to eight percent in England, compared to 28 percent in Scotland and 19 percent in Wales.

Looking since 2003, this is in comparison with a peak of 37 percent in England in 2008 and 2009 agreeing the government has the right policies.

Due to a change in survey methodology, comparisons with data before 2021 are only indicative but are consistent with trends seen elsewhere, the Health Foundation notes, and illustrate the escalation of concerns among the public.

Based on fieldwork carried out in November 2022 with 2,063 people aged 16 years and older responding, the findings are the latest wave of polling from Ipsos and the Health Foundation on the public’s views about health and social care. It shows deepening public concern about NHS services.

Across the UK, only a third of the public agree that the NHS is providing a good service nationally, a significant fall on the finding (43 percent) in the Health Foundation’s last survey in May 2022. 63 percent believe the general standard of care has deteriorated in the last 12 months.

The public is also concerned that the NHS is unlikely to get better in the short term, with six in 10 people thinking that the standard of NHS care will deteriorate over the next 12 months – a significant jump from 39 percent who thought this in May 2022.

Importantly, 82 percent of respondents feel that more funding is needed to tackle issues facing the NHS. In addition to more funding, the public’s top priorities for the NHS are addressing the pressure on NHS staff (40 percent), increasing the number of staff (39 percent), and improving waiting times for treatment (35 percent).

Despite these concerns, the public’s commitment to the founding principles of the NHS remains as strong as ever. 90 percent believe the NHS should be free at the point of delivery, 89 percent believe the NHS should provide a comprehensive service available to everyone, and 84 percent think the NHS should be funded primarily through taxation.

Tim Gardner, Senior Policy Fellow at the Health Foundation, said: “That public confidence in the government’s handling of the NHS has reached a new low should ring alarm bells in Number 10. Too many people are experiencing avoidable pain and suffering while they wait for treatment. The public has sent a clear message to government to increase funding for the NHS and address issues like long waits, high staff vacancies and pressure on doctors, nurses and other staff.

“There has been much debate in recent months about changing the NHS funding model – such as charging for GP appointments or a switch to social insurance. As well as being a costly distraction, there is no evidence voters want a radical change to the NHS model, they just want the current one to work better.

“If the government is committed to addressing the crisis in the NHS, it needs to produce a comprehensive plan, backed by sufficient investment, for getting the NHS and social care onto a more sustainable footing and urgently addressing workforce shortages.”