Public Satisfaction with the NHS Remains Steady

A survey published by the King’s Fund has revealed that the British public’s satisfaction with the National Health Service (NHS) remained steady in 2016.

The National Centre for Social Research carried out the ‘public satisfaction with the NHS in 2016 survey’ and found that 63 per cent of people were satisfied with the NHS.

Here are listed some findings from the survey: 

• Among the 63 per cent of respondents, 65 per cent cited the quality of care as the reason for their satisfaction with the NHS in 2016, whilst 59 per cent said it was because the NHS is free at the point of care.
• Among the 22 per cent who were disappointed with the NHS, the most frequently mentioned reasons were lack of funding (45 per cent), waiting times (54 per cent), and lack of staff (48 per cent).
• Satisfaction with General Practice services was 72 per cent, which is higher than for any other NHS service.
• Satisfaction with NHS dentistry services was 61 per cent. This one is the highest level of public satisfaction with NHS dentistry since the early 1990s.
• From 2015, there was no change in satisfaction levels with the three hospital-based services, as 54 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with A&E services, whilst 68 per cent said they were happy with outpatient services and 60 per cent were happy with inpatient services.

Commenting on the report, the chair of British Medical Council, Dr Mark Porter said that the National Health Service is one of the best health services in the world, but with the main areas of disappointment around staff shortages, waiting times and lack of funding it is clear that the public know that the health service is under greater pressure and is at breaking point.

He further added that the NHS remains under huge pressure and patients deserve more than sticking-plaster measures for such a vital public service.

Visit our blog page daily for more updates on healthcare system of the UK.

Recruitment Synergy is a UK based Medical Recruitment Agency. Remember us for Locum, temporary and permanent jobs across UK. We also provide compliance support   and  migration consultation to our candidates.