NHS Confederation responds to new public polling by the Health Foundation and Ipsos looking at public attitudes to health and care

Responding to new public polling data published today by the Health Foundation and Ipsos looking at public attitudes to health and care under the new Labour government, Ruth Rankine, director of the primary care network at the NHS Confederation, said:

“The findings of this survey on attitudes to health and care are a timely reminder of the concerns that the public have for the NHS, with 38 per cent ranking getting appointments at GP practices as a top priority.

“Understanding public expectations of what needs to be improved in the NHS is crucial for reform to happen. It’s clear that not only is it important to increase the number of appointments taking place each month, but to also improve access to general practice services and create a good patient experience in tandem.

“Our members have expressed their frustration with a lack of funding, increasing demand, complexity and underinvestment in the workforce that hampers efforts to transform services in the way that the NHS needs to. However, last year, we welcomed the Secretary of State’s announcement on additional funding for general practice and await the final details in the forthcoming GP contract as to what that will mean in reality.

“The public backs the government’s aim for the NHS to shift care out of hospitals and into the community with a boost in primary care investment, which will support better access to GP services.

“The ten-year health plan must address steps to implement a neighbourhood health service, to help patients access a wide range of professionals closer to home and receive timely care. Combined with a shift to prevention, this will help to identify and manage people’s health before it worsens.”