Dissatisfaction with NHS highest in Labour-run Wales
The public are most dissatisfied with the NHS in Wales, according to a study.
The British Social Attitudes survey found that while overall satisfaction hit a record low of just 24 per cent in the UK, in Wales it was at its lowest at just 21 per cent.
A record three in five people, or 60 per cent, said they were not happy with the service they were getting from the Welsh NHS.
In contrast 51 per cent of people in England were dissatisfied and 58 per cent of people in Scotland.
Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, said: “A once-in-a-generation pandemic has had a lasting impact on the NHS and this is reflected in the British Social Attitudes survey results which show its impact on public satisfaction.
“This is a UK wide survey, including the NHS in Labour-run Wales and SNP-run Scotland. It shows that the public are the most dissatisfied in Labour-run Wales,” she added.
She said the Government responsible for the NHS in England were making progress on what the public wanted, and had “invested record amounts” by giving the health service an extra £2.4 billion in the Spring Budget, as well as increasing the number of doctors and nurses.
“I’ve said since day one I want to create an NHS and social care system that is faster, simpler and fairer. We will deliver that without endless tax rises. Without endless spending. It will be tough but we have the plan. And I am determined to deliver it,” she added.
A report published earlier this year by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce found that Wales was one of the worst countries for people surviving three of the six deadliest forms of cancer.
Out of 33 similarly wealthy nations, Wales ranked 32nd for survival rates from stomach cancer, 31st for pancreatic and lung, 21st for liver and oesophageal and 12th for brain.
The survey by think tanks The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust of 3,374 people in England, Wales and Scotland is seen as the gold-standard measure of how people feel about the NHS. It began in 1983.
The results found satisfaction levels in both GP and dental services were at an all-time low, standing at just 34 and 24 per cent respectively.
While more than seven in 10 people said GP and hospital waits were the main problem, the other top concerns included a lack of staff, a lack of funding, and the NHS wasting money.
Chris Hopson, the chief strategy officer at NHS England, had said the findings “reflect the sustained pressure and disruption facing NHS services last autumn”.
The NHS in Wales was asked for comment.
