ITV News Index

ComRes interviewed British adults on behalf of ITV News

Date Published: 11 Jul 2013

Categories: Health | Public and communities | Public Sector | Social | UK

Description

Half the British public believe NHS care is worse today than it was ten years ago

A recent ITV News Index Poll conducted by ComRes on behalf of ITV News has found that despite six in ten (60%) of the British public believing the NHS provides an high standard of care overall, half of the public (50%) say that the health service is worse today than a decade ago. Just one in four (26%) disagree. Three in ten (30%) say that they have experienced unacceptably poor standards of care in the NHS within the last two years either personally or through family members.

Much of the blame appears to lie with management. Just one in three (35%) agree that the NHS is a well-managed organisation compared with almost half (47%) who disagree. Furthermore almost two-thirds (63%) see the NHS as being more focused on meeting Government targets than on ensuring high standards of patient care. Just one in four  (24%) Britons believe the Governments healthcare changes will help improve standards in the NHS.

Recent scandals have negatively impacted on public’ trust in the NHS. Half (50%) say that they trust the NHS much less in the wake of allegations over a cover up of a report into the death of babies  in Cumbria by the CQC. Recent pressures on the NHS have the potential to push it up the political agenda as the 2015 General Election approaches.