NHS tops poll of voters’ concerns as latest strike threatens further devastation

New polling has revealed that the NHS has caught up with rising prices, as most Britons believe it is the biggest challenge facing Britain.

The NHS in England is bracing for the latest strike by trainee doctors, which starts at 7am on Saturday.

Healthcare leaders have warned that the five-day strike – the 11th stoppage of trainee doctors in 10 months – will send “shockwaves” through a service already struggling to cope with winter ailments, staff shortages and a huge backlog of care .

Hospitals across England are expected to again postpone tens of thousands of operations and outpatient appointments as they redeploy staff to cope with the loss of many of their doctors and keep emergency care, such as emergency departments, running as smoothly as possible .

Data from the Ipsos Pollster Index, which tracks changes in public opinion over time, found that when asked about the most pressing issues facing Britain, more people mentioned the NHS than anyone else. also. Just over one in three (34%) said the NHS, hospitals and healthcare were among the most important issues, up 3% on last month.

The economy remained the second most cited problem at 29%, while inflation fell from first place last month to third in the latest edition of the survey, which is based on a representative sample of 1,008 adults in Great Britain. Britain.

While 32% cited inflation/prices as a major issue in January, fewer – 26% – did so during the February 7-13 polls.

“We know the NHS is a perennial problem for the public, but now we see concerns that it is overtaking other issues that have taken the top spot in recent years,” said Anna Quigley, director at Ipsos.

“Contributing to this will be the problems of long waiting times, overcrowded emergency departments, striking staff and crumbling estates, all of which people will have heard about in the media lately, even if they have not experienced it themselves.

“We know the public are concerned about the future of the NHS, but this doesn’t mean they have given up; they want to ensure that the NHS is there for them and their family if they need it in the future.â€

Opposition parties seized on the results as evidence of deep public concern about the fragile state of the NHS, which suffered years of small budget increases and increasing understaffing after 2010.

“It is no surprise that people are increasingly concerned about the dire state the Conservatives have left our NHS in,” said Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary.

“After fourteen years of Tory incompetence and neglect, patients are finding it impossible to get an appointment, ambulance or operation when they need it. Imagine the damage they could do with five more years,” he added.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel. A Labor government will carry out two million operations and appointments a year to get the NHS back on its feet, paid for by abolishing non-domestic tax status. With Labour, the NHS will once again be there for you when you need it.â€

Julian Hartley, the chief executive of hospital group NHS Providers, said the latest strike by trainee doctors would leave the service facing an “almost impossible task” as it tries to tackle the backlog of hospital procedures – around 6, 5 million people – to be reduced. waiting for 7.6 million different operations.

‘Each strike sends shockwaves through the NHS, affecting patients and staff, with little time to recover in between. Trust leaders have put plans in place to keep patients safe, but they fear another strike by junior doctors,” he said.

“The scale and duration will have long-lasting consequences. More than 1.4 million hospital, mental health and community appointments and procedures have already been postponed due to industrial action. No one in pain or fear should have to wait a second longer than necessary because conditions could worsen.”

Strikes since December 2022 by NHS staff, including nurses, ambulance crews and consultant doctors, have cost the NHS around £3 billion, Hartley added.

Ipsos’ findings suggest that the NHS will be a key issue in the general election expected to take place later this year. They also bode well for Labour, which is traditionally seen as the party most closely associated with and supporting the service.

Separate polling last week by Survation, reported by the New Statesman, showed Labour’s commitment to ‘building an NHS fit for the future’ is by far the most popular of the five ‘missions’. When asked which of the five they considered most important, 44% of voters chose it.

In contrast, the other four missions all received less support: halving violent crime (19%), delivering clean electricity by 2030 (14%), achieving the highest growth in the G7 (13%) and removing barriers for opportunities through better childcare and education (10%).

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, echoed Streeting’s claim that fourteen years of Tory rule has sharply reduced the NHS.

“The Conservative party can never be trusted with the NHS again, after their terrible legacy of record waiting lists and crumbling hospitals,” he said.

‘The country is crying out for more GP appointments, yet Rishi Sunak spends his time waging culture wars to keep his own MPs happy.

“At the next election, Rishi Sunak will be judged on his broken promises over the NHS, which has hurt millions and stifled our economy.”