A KING’S Fund survey shows public satisfaction with the way the NHS is run fell from 70% in 2010 (the year that Tory rule began) to 58% in 2011.
‘These findings are disappointing but not surprising,’ RCN General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter said yesterday.
‘Over the past couple of years we have seen tens of thousands of posts stripped out of the health service,’ said Dr Carter. ‘Staff are working under huge amounts of stress and pressure.
‘This is a particular issue in accident and emergency settings and sadly we have heard many cases of patients being regularly treated on corridors.
‘The RCN has consistently said that the programme of huge reform coming at a time as the service in England struggles to save £20 billion will have negative consequences.’
Unison General Secretary Dave Prentis said: ‘It has taken more than 60 years to build up the NHS and this Tory government has taken just two years to knock it down again.
‘It comes as absolutely no surprise that patient satisfaction has dropped because of Lansley’s unwelcome, unnecessary and damaging so-called reforms.
‘Unison, along with so many other health organisations, health professionals and the public warned that the impact of the Health and Social Care Act would be reduced quality of care for patients, and this survey shows these warnings coming home to roost.
‘The changes, along with the four-year real-terms spending freeze to make £20bn of “efficiency” savings, are having a terrible impact on the care the NHS is able to provide to patients.
‘Unless ministers take urgent steps to fix these issues, Unison predicts that things can only get worse for patients and NHS staff.’
The King’s Fund Survey showed that public satisfaction with the way the NHS is run has dropped by a record amount.
The British Social Attitudes Survey indicates satisfaction fell from 70% to 58% last year – the largest annual drop since it started in 1983.
The King’s Fund think-tank sponsored the NHS questions put to more than 1,000 people, and said their answers appeared to be a comment on ‘reforms’ and spending squeezes and not care quality.
When asked what they think of their care, most patients are grateful for their treatment and give the NHS a thumbs up.
Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King’s Fund, said the poll was important because it had tracked satisfaction over a long period of time.
‘It is not surprising this has happened when the NHS is facing a well-publicised spending squeeze.
‘Nevertheless, it is something of a shock that it has fallen so significantly.’
