2nd April 2025

Responding to the British Social Attitudes 2024 survey, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, Rachel Power, said:

“We are deeply concerned by the findings from the latest British Social Attitudes survey, and yet it paints a picture we are now all too familiar with; a health service under immense strain, with public satisfaction in the NHS at an all-time low. We hear first-hand from patients daily across the UK who are facing delays in treatments, uncertainty about their health and distressing experiences when seeking urgent care. Behind these statistics are real people who need to be able to rely on their health service. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan must deliver on its promise to deliver real, lasting change.

“Analysis by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund reveals just over 1 in 5 (21%) of British adults are satisfied with the way the NHS runs, the lowest level since records began. The sharp rise in dissatisfaction, particularly in critical services such as A&E and GP access is particularly alarming. Patients are waiting too long for both urgent and routine care, with serious implications for their health and wellbeing. Patients turn to A&E in moments of crisis and deserve rapid and effective care.

“The collapse in satisfaction with NHS dentistry, now at just 20%, down from 60% in 2019, reflects the dire reality facing patients trying to access routine and emergency dental care. Our free patient helpline receives daily calls from individuals struggling to register with an NHS dentist, facing unexpected de-registrations, or being unable to access vital treatments such as root canal.

“Despite these challenges, public support for the NHS remains strong, with the majority still backing its founding principles. However, unless decisive action is taken, patient dissatisfaction will continue to rise, and the most vulnerable will bear the brunt of a system under pressure.

“To rebuild trust and improve health outcomes, the NHS must urgently work in genuine partnership with patients to drive health care improvements and address health inequalities.”