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The British public are deeply unhappy with the National Health Service – just 1 in 5 people (21%) in 2024 said they were satisfied with the way the NHS runs.
That’s according to analysis of the latest BritishSocialAttitudes(BSA) survey published today by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund. Satisfaction has plummeted by 39 percentage points since the months before the pandemic.
6 in 10 people (59%) said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied with the NHS in 2024, a sharp rise from 52% in 2023. This is the highest level of dissatisfaction with the health service since the survey began in 1983. The survey, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) in September and October 2024, is seen as a gold-standard measure of public attitudes in Britain.
The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund say that just 12% of people were satisfied with A&E waiting times and 23% with GP waiting times. People are unhappy about waiting times even if they are satisfied with the NHS overall, regardless of age, political affiliation or nation.
NHS staffing and spending are also worrying the public. Only 11% agreed that ‘there are enough staff in the NHS these days’. While a strong majority (69%) said the government spends too little or far too little on the NHS, only 14% agreed that ‘the NHS spends the money it has efficiently’.
If forced to choose, the public would narrowly opt for increasing taxes and raising NHS spending (46%) over keeping them the same (41%). Only 8% would prefer tax reductions and lower NHS spending.
Despite low satisfaction with services, there remains strong majority support for the founding principles of the NHS: that it should ‘definitely or probably’ be free at the point of use (90%), available to everyone (77%), and funded from general taxation (80%). However, the percentage of people saying that the NHS should ‘definitely’ be available to everyone has decreased from 67% in 2023 to 56% in 2024.
There is a divide between generations, with satisfaction lower and falling in younger age groups. While the proportion of people who were satisfied rose slightly between 2023 and 2024 for those aged 65+ from 25% to 27%, among those under 65 it fell significantly from 24% to 19%.
A significantly higher proportion of people in Wales (72%) were dissatisfied with the NHS compared to 59% in England and 60% in Scotland (the difference between England and Scotland is not statistically significant).
Public views of A&E services have worsened dramatically, with satisfaction falling from 31% to just 19%, and dissatisfaction rising from 37% to 52%. These are the worst figures on record by a large margin and make A&E the service with the lowest satisfaction levels for the first time.
Satisfaction with GP services continued to fall, mirroring the trend over the last few years, with 31% of members of the British public satisfied with GP services, compared with 34% in 2023.
Satisfaction with NHS dentistry has continued to collapse. As recently as 2019 this was at 60%, but it has now fallen to a record low of 20%. Dissatisfaction levels (55%) are the highest for any NHS service asked about.
Inpatient and outpatient hospital care remains the part of the NHS with the highest levels of satisfaction, with 32% satisfied and only 28% dissatisfied.
Satisfaction with social care remains worryingly low. In 2024, only 13% of respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with social care. 53% of respondents were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied.
For the first time, people who support the Reform party have been included as a separate category in the analysis instead of being part of the ‘other parties’ group, to reflect the party’s increased share of the election vote. Supporters of the Reform party were less likely to be satisfied with the NHS (13%) than supporters of the other main parties. They are also less likely to believe in the founding principles of the NHS.
‘Just five years after the British public were called on to “Protect the NHS” at the start of the pandemic, these findings reveal just how dismayed they are about the state of the NHS today. We found that every group in Britain is dissatisfied with access to vital services such as A&E and GP appointments.
‘The government says the NHS is broken, and the public agree. But support for the core principles of the NHS – free at the point of use, available to all and funded by taxation – endures despite the collapse in satisfaction. Harnessing this support and fixing the foundations of the NHS must be central to the government’s forthcoming reform programme.’
Dan Wellings, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund said:
‘The latest results lay bare the extent of the problems faced by the NHS and the size of the challenge for the government. While the results are sobering, they should not be surprising. For too many people the NHS has become difficult to access: how can you be satisfied with a service you can’t get into?
‘In 2010, seven out of ten people were satisfied with the NHS – it is now down to only one in five. The scale of the decline over the past few years has been dramatic. The results show that people do not want a different funding model, but they do want the NHS to start working for them again and they want it to have the staff and the money it needs to ensure that happens. The public are also clear that the NHS needs to get better at spending the money it does get more efficiently.
‘The government’s focus on bringing down hospital waiting lists may address one area of the public’s concerns, but this year’s BSA survey shows that all areas are flashing red, particularly A&E. Voters are impatient for change, and ministers will need to demonstrate rapid improvement, but that should not come at the cost of the bigger, whole-system reforms that are needed to create a truly sustainable health service. These results will form the baseline from which the new Labour government’s reform plans to ‘fix’ the NHS will be judged.’
In an accompanying foreword to the report, Nuffield Trust and King’s Fund Chief Executives Thea Stein and Sarah Woolnough say that ‘The government now finds itself walking a fine line between meeting public demands for rapid improvements on waiting times and avoiding the pitfall of throwing more money – of which there is virtually none – at a system in need of deeper reform.’
The Chief Executives argue that ministers will need to meet public demand for improving A&E, GP appointments and dental care, but they should not lose sight of the much bigger prize of longer-term, sustainable reform focused around shifting care from hospital and moving the NHS from a sickness to a health service.
Louise Ansari, Chief Executive of Healthwatch England, said: “These figures are a sobering reminder of the work that needs to be done to rebuild confidence in the NHS. Although many people tell us that they are grateful for the hard work of NHS staff, long waiting times and access issues across the health system have taken their toll on people’s confidence in getting timely care in the first place.
“However, changes already underway, and the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan, are an opportunity for a reset. But rebuilding public confidence is not just about fixing access issues. It will also require the NHS to do more to listen to patients and address other issues that affect their experience of care.
“This means better communication with patients, an end to the poor administration that blights the NHS, and more care closer to home. It also means more joined-up support that meets people’s needs and tackling the health inequalities many communities face.
“Improving public confidence is not going to happen overnight, but real progress is possible with the right plan, enough resources, and by working hand in hand with patients.”
STS Charity, the dedicated charity of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, will be the official health partner for the Sunderland City Runs and Tidal Trails events for the next two years.
South Tyneside athletics legend Steve Cram founded both events and met with representatives of STS Charity on Monday to discuss how they can work together to inspire more people to take up running as part of a healthier lifestyle.
After a chat and question and answer session at Fausto Coffee in Sunderland, Steve was joined by a group of the charity’s supporters for a run.
The Sunderland City Runs weekend is well established on the North East sports calendar and includes the popular Sunderland City Half Marathon, 10K and Active Sunderland BIG 3K, all on routes in and around the city centre. This year’s runs will be held on Sunday 11 May.
Tidal Trails is a new family oriented event for 2025, and will take over the beach and famous Leas in South Shields on Sunday 17 August, with 2K and 8K trail races, sand sprints, and Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track initiative, which gives family groups the opportunity to get active together in a safe and fun environment.
Both events are being organised by Events of the North, in partnership with Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council respectively.
STS Charity works with the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to raise money for the big and small things that are above and beyond what the NHS would fund, but make a huge difference to patients, families, visitors and staff.
This includes equipment that enhances patient care, and improving facilities which provide a better experience for those accessing services of working across the trust. Employee wellness and physical activity are priorities for the trust, and employees are being encouraged to take part in both events.
The trust also hopes that many of them will raise funds for STS Charity, to support the wide range of work that it does.
Events of the North and STS Charity will work together closely to promote their partnership and the wide ranging physical and mental health benefits of getting active through running.
Steve Cram said: “We’ve been organising the Sunderland City Runs for nearly 15 years and one of the most rewarding aspects of every event is witnessing those participants who complete their first race of any sort. Once they’ve started on that journey in running, most will continue and will be happy to tell anyone about how their physical and mental health has improved through being active.
“Teaming up with STS Charity is going to be a brilliant vehicle to take those positive messages to even more people, both in Sunderland, and at Tidal Trails in South Shields, where we aim to inspire family groups of all ages to join us and get active together.”
Jade English is an internal engagement officer at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and will be participating in the Sunderland City 10K in May.
She said: “I only started running last year and wanted to challenge myself in 2025 and do something I’ve never done before. I’ve decided to take on the Sunderland City 10K to support STS Charity and raise funds for Sunderland Royal Hospital, for the Phoenix Unit and Ward B28, as this is where my dad has been treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“Running and movement have played a monumental part in helping me remain positive and managing my mental health while supporting my dad throughout his illness, from diagnosis to now (hopefully) recovery and remission.
“Doing the Sunderland City 10K and pulling a team of women together to run it with me, will be a fantastic way to not only challenge myself by doing something I’ve never done before, but also give something back to the hospital that has helped my dad on his cancer journey.
“I also have an even closer connection to the charity as I work for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, which means I frequently see and hear about the amazing work that the STS Charity does and how that benefits our patients and staff.”
Chris Cairns is a nurse consultant at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. Chris will be taking on the Sunderland City Half Marathon in May and said: “I have been running regularly over the last 10 years around the parks to keep me fit, but since the pandemic, I have not been as fit or fast as in 2019.
“It was then that I set my half marathon personal best of one hour and 33 minutes at the Sunderland City Half Marathon. I had hoped to beat this at last year’s Great North Run, but my training was completely derailed by illness. Now I’m hoping to achieve that objective back in Sunderland.
I am not quite as on track as I would like to be at the moment, so I am pushing myself hard to increase my pace. I work in older persons’ care, mainly with people who have dementia or delirium, and I plan to raise funds for The Older People’s Improvement Collaborative (TOPIC), one of our STS Charity funds that supports care on our older persons’ wards.”
Anyone who would like to run in either event to support STS Charity should contact the charity team on 0191 565 6256, ext: 42946, or stsft.charity@nhs.net. Information about the charity and ways to donate can be found at www.stsft.nhs.uk/our-charity.
Hard working home care staff have been praised by the people they serve in a new report by Healthwatch.
Our survey found more than 85% of people receiving home care services said they were always treated with kindness, dignity and respect by their care worker and 71.3% reported feeling they were always listened to and spoken to in a way they understood.
Nearly seven in ten respondents (69.3%) said the care and support received is always as agreed in their care and support plan.
More than half (52.0%) said their carer always stayed for the correct length of time detailed in their care plan and almost two-thirds (63.9%) said their carers always supported them to be independent.
However, many commented that there were regularly issues around timekeeping and changes to their carer without prior notice.
Only 37.3% said they always had the same carers and less than half (42.1%) said they were always told in advance if there would be a change in the carer or time of the visit. Less than half (48.0%) said their carer always arrived on time.
Typical comments included: “Receive good care from all the carers, sometimes they are late but always turn up” and “Carers do arrive late sometimes, but I understand how busy they are – I look forward to their visits”.
However, despite these issues, 83.6% said they were either very satisfied (47.0%) or satisfied (36.6%) with the overall service they receive from their care agency. More than three-quarters of respondents (78.2%) answered that they would recommend their care agency to a family member or friend.
Help to Live at Home is one of the four key priorities in Healthwatch South Tyneside’s 2024/26 Operational Plan.
Since 2020 home care provision has changed in South Tyneside, following the introduction of four zones within the local authority area – each served by a home care provider.
The staff view
Healthwatch heard from 13 members of staff working for the four providers who operate in the borough.
They were generally positive about their employers and their work, although four said travel time was not factored into their work day which could be linked to the timekeeping complaints made by service users.
Managers who were interviewed highlighted recruitment and retention of skilled care workers as a key issue, with competition with pay rates in the hospitality sector cited.
Delays in DBS checks coming back, staff who don’t drive and finding workers to cover Cleadon and Whitburn were all singled out.
Recommendations
Healthwatch has made a series of recommendations to South Tyneside Council in our report.
They include care providers needing to ensure an up to date, person-centred care plan is in place which reflects each person’s needs and wishes, and allocating the right care worker(s) to the person.
The care worker or provider should also inform the person in advance if a visit is going to be missed, with as much notice as possible.
Long waits for eye care have a huge impact on people’s lives.
With a new survey revealing people’s health deteriorating amid long waits for specialist eye care, Healthwatch England has called for greater use of high street optician services, including optometrists working in optician services, to help cut waiting times.
An optometrist’s role is to detect defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular diseases or other abnormalities. Optometrists often work alongside other professionals in primary eye care, supporting people with a range of eye problems and referring people for specialist care.
Expanding their role and responsibilities, such as being able to treat patients for a greater range of conditions, would help more people with the most serious eye conditions to be identified and referred for specialist care earlier.
Responses from 1,051 self-selecting people currently waiting for specialist eye care appointments suggest that the vast majority (85%) of people support the idea of optometrists being able to refer patients without seeing a GP first. Over 65% are comfortable with them helping to monitor and treat eye conditions.
The survey, which asked people to share their experiences of eye care between July and September 2024, found many people struggled while waiting for specialist care:
Of those currently waiting, 70% said they noticed some deterioration in vision.
People currently waiting for eye care reported that long waits affect their ability to continue their hobbies, 75%; mental health, 69%; ability to work, 52%; and relationships, 36%.
The most common type of support people reported needing was ‘knowing who to contact for further information’ about their care. However, only 14% of people said they knew who to contact.
Barely any people (4%) said they had been given advice and information to help them with day-to-day activities, such as working.
Eye care is the busiest outpatient speciality in the NHS in England, and with an ageing population, demand is set to grow further.
According to NHS statistics, last December nearly 600,000 people were waiting for specialist eye care, a third of whom (33%) had been waiting more than the 18-week target set by the Government.
And getting referred for specialist eye care may be a long process for some. Of those currently waiting, almost a quarter (22%) had to have multiple appointments before being referred.
The patient champion calls for optician services to take on more responsibility for managing people’s eye care and referring them for specialist treatment to help cut waiting times. Additionally, actions such as those proposed in the Optometry First model are needed to improve communications and support for people waiting for eye care.
Highlights of our research
Patients waiting for NHS specialist eye care strongly support using high street opticians’ staff more to help address the impact of long wait times.
Seventy per cent of patients report a decline in vision during their wait for care, while over half said the wait impacts work, daily activities or mental health.
Just four percent report getting information and advice to help with day-to-day activities like working.
Healthwatch England urges the Government to use community optometrists more to cut waits and the NHS to improve patient support while they wait. Clearer NHS data is also needed to ensure patients with the most serious eye conditions get help first.
Chris McCann, deputy chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: “Long waits for eye care are having a huge impact on people’s daily lives, including their ability to work, manage daily tasks, socialise or take part in hobbies such as reading.
“We know that highly skilled optometrists in the community are in every locality in England. Our survey shows overwhelming public support for better using this capacity through models such as Optometry First, where optometrists and their teams support patients before and after hospital care. This provides an ideal opportunity for them to take on more responsibility for managing people’s eye care and referring them for specialist treatment.
“There also needs to be better communication and support for those stuck on waiting lists. The positive impact of Eye Care Liaison Officers, a Royal National Institute for the Blind programme that provides vital support to those diagnosed with a condition that affects their sight, is well documented.
“We ask the NHS to ensure trusts and other commissioners and funders of eye care services support the increase and sustainability of this programme, which is not currently available to all patients.
“Lastly, the NHS should publish condition-specific data to ensure patients with the most serious eye conditions get help first.”
The NHS publishes waiting list data for ophthalmology treatments as a whole. However, providing information specific to different conditions would improve oversight of waiting times for more serious cases and help ensure resources are used effectively.
Dave’s story: “It’s like I’m just talking to a wall”
Dave, 67, from Newcastle, has been trying to get treatment for a painful cyst in his right eye for four years. Two years ago, he joined a waiting list to have the cyst examined by a specialist, but he’s not heard anything since. He’s also waiting for glaucoma and cataract treatments, but he can’t start these until the cyst is removed (because there’s a risk of infection if it bursts).
The cyst causes Dave a lot of discomfort. It’s painful and excretes fluid that then hardens and crystallizes. This makes it hard for him to open his eye and blurs his vision.
“It’s sore all the time,” Dave says. “It leaks like glue. That makes it hard to see, especially at night and makes things like going to the shops difficult because it’s like looking through a viscous liquid.
“But when I ask when I might get help, nobody ever tells me anything. It’s like I’m just talking to a wall!”
About our research
In total, 2,568 people responded to a survey about their eye care experiences, published by Healthwatch England on its website between July and September 2024:
1,766 people responded to the questions about having eye tests in the last two years.
471 people responded to the questions about currently waiting for secondary eye care.
580 people answered the questions about secondary eye care in the last two years.
This report focuses on the 1,051 people who responded to the questions about waiting for secondary eye care. We use the statistics from the survey and responses to free text questions to illustrate the impact on people of waiting for eye care.
Download our report
If you need this report in a different format, please email enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk or call 030000 68 3000.
Ordering medicines when they aren’t needed can mean you end up with more than you need in your cupboard. Small changes in managing our medicines can make a big difference and help reduce medicine waste in the North East and North Cumbria.
That £20m could help fund:
535 more nurses per year
476,190 more GP appointments per year
1,574 knee replacements
What is stockpiling?
At some point, you might have thought about ordering extra medicines “just in case.” It’s a natural reaction, especially if you are worried about running out of something important. However, ordering more than you need or holding onto medicines you don’t use (known as stockpiling) can lead to problems.
Why stockpiling isn’t helpful
Wasted resources: Medicines that are not used often, go out of date and have to be thrown away. This wastes NHS funds that could be better used elsewhere.
Supply issues: If some people stockpile, it can create shortages, making it harder for others to get what they need.
Medicines safety: Holding onto medication can lead to mistakes about what to take and when, especially if your prescription changes.
When we order only what we need, we help make sure there is supply for everyone. It also helps the NHS focus on giving the best care for all. Don’t forget – if you’re worried about running out or delays, speak to your pharmacist or GP practice. They are there to help!
How you can help
We can all take simple steps to make sure medicines are not wasted, so the NHS can focus resources where they’re needed most. Here’s how:
1 Only order what you need: Check what medicines you have at home before you place an order, and only order what you need.
2 Hand back: When you collect your medicines from your local pharmacy, make sure that you only have what you need. If you return an item before you leave the pharmacy, it can be reused.
3 Stick to your routine: Order your medication when you are running low, and no earlier. You can set up notes in your calendar to help you check to see if you need to order more.
