Briton’s top NHS priority revealed amid falling confidence in government’s health service policy

The government’s flagship NHS policy is at odds with what the general public view as a top priority, a new poll suggests.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change” pledged that by July 2029, 92% of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements.

But cutting waiting times for routine hospital services ranks only fifth for the public in terms of NHS priorities, the poll suggests.

The public’s top priority for the NHS is making it easier to access GP appointments followed by improving A&E waiting times and reducing the number of staff leaving the NHS, the Health Foundation think tank found.

Researchers found that public confidence in the government’s NHS policies “remains low” after just over half (53 per cent) said they disagree that the government has the right policies for the health service, compared to 16% who agree.

They said that public perceptions of the NHS “remain negative overall” but there are some signs that views are “slowly improving”.

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Source: The Independent, 12 September 2025