The Health Foundation’s latest polling report reveals mixed public perceptions of health and social care services. Approximately 41% of respondents believe that the general standard of NHS care has deteriorated over the past year, indicating a less negative outlook compared to previous surveys. 52% anticipate further declines in the upcoming year.
Key findings:
- Pressures on NHS staff – 74% feel that staff pressures have worsened in the past year, with 65% expecting continued challenges.
- Waiting times for routine services – 69% report increased waiting times over the last 12 months, and 62% foresee further delays.
- Wellbeing of NHS staff – 65% observe a decline in staff wellbeing, with 56% predicting ongoing issues.
Perceptions of care quality at the local level have shown improvement:
- Standard of care in GP Practices – respondents who believe care standards have worsened decreased from 47% to 41%.
- Standard of care in hospitals – Those perceiving a decline dropped from 42% to 38%.
For social care, 50% feel that standards have declined over the past year, an improvement from 59% in previous findings. 49% remain pessimistic about future standards.
Visit The Health Foundation to read this report Return to the Insight Bank