Public satisfaction with the NHS at lowest level on record

Poor access to GPs and long waits for hospital treatment have led to public satisfaction with the NHS hitting the lowest level on record.

Fewer than one in four (24%) people were satisfied with the health service in 2023, down five percentage points on the previous year and the lowest level since records began in 1983, according to findings from the British Social Attitudes poll.

The study, of 3,374 people in England, Wales and Scotland, is seen as the gold-standard test of how people feel about the NHS.

While satisfaction with the NHS peaked in 2010, when 70% of people were satisfied with the health service, it has since