Time to fix the ‘national sickness service’ once and for all

Editorial: An NHS that works for those who depend upon it should not be too much to ask – or beyond the wit of politicians. The next government should prioritise finding long-term solutions for its systemic problems

28 March 2024 (Dave Brown)

Satisfaction with the NHS has sunk to its lowest level since the British Social Attitudes survey began measuring it in 1983. Only one in four people (24 per cent) are satisfied – a 29-point drop in the past three years – and 52 per cent dissatisfied.

The findings, analysed by the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust think tanks, are no surprise after the pandemic, a wave of strikes that have dragged on for far too long, and a series of NHS scandals. Understandably, the public’s main concern is about waiting times; they are much happier about the treatment they (eventually) receive.

Despite the criticism, people still have faith in what the former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson called “the closest thing the English have to a religion”. One survey participant put it well: people “love our NHS,” as the stickers and badges say, but “it’s a bit of a toxic relationship”. They do not want a different system but want their NHS to work better. It should not be too much to ask for.