Patients with long-term conditions have worse experience

Patients with long-term conditions and those from a minority ethnic background have a significantly worse experience of NHS care, according to polling shared exclusively with HSJ. 

The survey by Ipsos, for the umbrella group National Voices, asked about people’s experience of person-centred and integrated care. A representative sample of 984 adults were interviewed around the beginning of this month. 

It found a significantly higher percentage of individuals with multiple long-term conditions – who are much more likely to be heavy users of the NHS – disagreed with the statement that “all the different professionals caring for you worked well together” (21% disagreed versus 11% among other adults).

The same percentage disagreed that “when you moved between services, settings or areas, there was a plan for what would happen next”.

A large majority (81%) were confident they could access information and advice to manage their own physical health, while it was a little less (70%) for mental health. But again, people with multiple LTCs were around twice as likely to say they could not get the necessary information or advice. 

Just 8% said they were not listened to when using NHS services – but this doubled to 16% among those with multiple long-term conditions.

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Source: HSJ, 25 June 2025

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