Things can only get better? Public perceptions of health and care under the new government (Health Foundation, 25 February 2025)

Summary

This survey is the first comprehensive look at public attitudes to health and care under the new government – including the biggest issues the public want to see prioritised.  

Content

Key points

• This analysis presents the findings from the seventh wave of our public perceptions survey programme with Ipsos – and the first under the new Labour government. The survey into public perceptions of health and social care was conducted between 21 and 27 November 2024 with 2,198 UK adults aged 16 and older via Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
• Across the NHS and social care, the public is less negative and more optimistic about the performance of services than under the previous government, though perceptions are still largely negative overall. 21% think standards of NHS care will get better over the next 12 months, compared with 11% in May 2024. 11% think the standard of social care services will get better, compared with 5% in May 2024. The public is also more likely to agree the government has the right policies for the NHS than under the previous government, however still only 17% think this.
• For the first time in our polling series, the public’s top priority for the NHS is making it easier to get appointments at GP practices (38%). This is followed by improving waiting times for A&E (33%) and reducing the number of staff leaving the NHS by improving working conditions (29%). The public’s priorities have shifted since May 2024, with GP access, A&E waiting times and reducing waste and improving the efficiency moving up, while workforce issues have moved down.
• The majority of the English public is unaware of the government’s proposals for a National Care Service (76% unaware) and 10-Year Health Plan (73%). However, the ‘three shifts’ underpinning the government’s ideas for the 10-Year Health Plan are all well supported. The public is split on the trade-off between delivering social care reform quickly but potentially without cross-party consensus (40%) and building cross-party consensus, which may mean social care reform takes longer (43%).
• The NHS is the public’s top priority for extra public spending by a substantial margin. However, the public is divided about how, if at all, to pay for the extra spending needed to meet growing demand. While its preferred option is still to increase taxes to maintain the current level of care and services (42%), support for tax increases has fallen over time (down from 53% in November 2022).
• Labour won a landslide election victory, but the public mood on the NHS and care is more 'wait and see' than 'things can only get better'. The 10-Year Health Plan is a chance to change perceptions of the NHS and set a clear direction for the service. However, the government will need to articulate a more hopeful vision for the future and address the potential misalignment between their overriding political priority of reducing hospital waiting times and what is most important to the public.