Falling public satisfaction with the NHS must be a ‘wake-up’ call

Responding to analysis of the latest British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"These figures must be a wake-up call for the NHS.

"While public support for the fundamental principles of the NHS is still rock solid, it’s clear radical action is needed across the board to restore the public’s faith in the NHS and turn the tide on falling patient satisfaction.

"It’s particularly worrying to see such a steep fall in satisfaction, and to such a low level, among people under 65. We urgently need to turn that round.

"It’s disappointing, though not surprising, that satisfaction with A&E services has hit a record low.

"No trust leader wants to see long waits in A&E, ambulances stacked up outside hospitals or corridor care.

"But the sad reality is that ‘winter pressures’ are being felt all-year round by our over-stretched urgent and emergency care teams, and patients have been left paying the price. We need a national plan that supports local leaders to fix urgent and emergency care sooner rather than later.

"These findings also show that the public share trust leaders’ concerns about workforce shortages and pressures on social care, too.

"NHS trust leaders are committed to delivering high quality care, tackling waiting lists and ensuring people get the care they need as quickly as possible across hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services. They are making progress, but they know they need to go further and faster to give patients the health services they want and deserve.

"The 10-year health plan, with its focus on preventing ill-health and shifting care into the community, could be a game-changer for patients, and for the whole health and care system. We can’t afford to get it wrong."