The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust have analysed the latest data on the public’s attitudes to the NHS. Despite a rise in public satisfaction, frustrations remain.
The King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust have analysed data from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, which was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) between August and October 2025. In 2019, 60% of respondents said that they were satisfied with the NHS and this figure had been spiralling downwards, reaching a record low of just one in five (21%) in 2024.
The authors of the Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2025 report say the 'year-on-year' falls in satisfaction seen since the pandemic 'appear to have eased', and while these results will be a 'welcome relief' for the government they do not offer a solid signal as to whether the bounce in NHS satisfaction marks a decisive turning point.
The findings highlight that age and political affiliation continue to be a key driver of public perceptions of the NHS. For example, just a fifth (20%) of people under 35 said they were satisfied with the way the NHS is run compared to over a third (35%) of people 65 and over.
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