Peterborough's Healthwatch are telling us that 52% of feedback they receive is negative
It comes as a survey found that there has been a collapse in public satisfaction with the NHS
Healthwatch in Peterborough are telling us that there's an increase in people who are not satisfied with the NHS.
They found that 52% of feedback they receive is negative with a main issue being struggling to get an appointment.
People are feeling frustrated and confused
The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, found only a fifth of respondents are now satisfied with the NHS.
This is down from 24% year-on-year and the lowest proportion since the survey began in 1983.
Overall satisfaction with the NHS has plummeted 39 percentage points since the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when 60% of adults said they were satisfied with the health service.
They're off work sick, they can't lead a good quality of life, and they're suffering as a result of it
Jess Slater, Chief Executive at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's Healthwatch, said:
"What people are feeling is frustrated and confused."
"They don't know why they're not being seen to."
"Everybody respects what the NHS does, and they don't mind waiting."
"However, it's the amount of time and the lack of appointments that are making people suffer."
"People that do need ongoing care or they need a consultation or hospital treatment afterwards – that's delaying that."
"When they finally get the appointment with the GP and they are referred, they are then on another waiting list, and that's the problem."
"That impacts people severely then because they're suffering."
"Usually any condition they have then escalates and becomes worse in time."
"It impacts their life because they're off work sick, they can't lead a good quality of life, and they're suffering as a result of it."
It's the amount of time and the lack of appointments that are making people suffer
The survey shows sharp drops in satisfaction with particular services, including A&E, GPs and dentistry.
However, the findings suggest people still believe in the founding principles of the NHS and the majority believe it needs more money and staff.