This week’s ONS data on UK Measures of National Well-being reveals the deteriorating health of the nation alongside widespread dissatisfaction with the healthcare system.
In May to June 2023, just 53.9% of adults in Great Britain said they tended to be satisfied with the health system, coinciding with wider pressures in the NHS post-pandemic with waiting lists surging past 7 million.
The survey also revealed that in January 2020 to December 2021, 44.7% of adults in the UK reported being mostly satisfied or completely satisfied with their general health, significantly lower than in January 2018 to December 2019 (48.0%), and around nine percentage points lower than in January 2009 to December 2010, when the time series began (53.3%).
David Pye, Director at leading independent consultancy Broadstone, commented: “On the NHS’ 75thbirthday, these findings demonstrate how important it is that the UK Government focuses on this area and underlines the fact that recent initiatives to improve staffing levels have to work. The immense pressures the public health service is under is having a huge impact on the population.
“People feel less healthy and less confident of treatment through the NHS. Waiting lists are continuing to rise and people experience issues getting medical appointments which fuels public dissatisfaction. Delays to treatment and missed diagnoses are only exacerbating the current issues with people presenting increasingly with multiple complex or severe conditions.
“Growing ill-health and stresses in the NHS are driving considerable demand through the private sector with private health admissions hitting record levels in 2022. Consequently, we expect the role of the employer in prevention and support for their workforce to become increasing important over the coming years as workers look for additional support to maintain their health and employers look to reduce their absence rates.
“Businesses are also recognising the immense return on investment that private healthcare options provide by keeping their workforce fit, health and productive.”
