Today’s ONS data on public opinion and trends finds that the deterioration of the NHS and the lack of GP access is at the forefront of public concern.
 
When asked about the important issues facing the UK today, the two most commonly reported issues were: the cost of living (88%), which has seen a general decline since August 2023; and the NHS (88%), which has increased slightly from a month ago (84% in the period 17 to 28 January 2024) to reach the same proportion as the cost of living.
 
Moreover, of those who tried to a contact a GP practice in the past month for themselves or someone else, a third (33%) said it was either difficult or very difficult to make contact with the GP surgery – equivalent to around 8.2 million adults – and a further 23% said it was neither easy nor difficult.
 
Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at leading independent consultancy Broadstone, commented: “Seasonal winter illness has driven up demand for GP consultations and in turn, spotlighted the challenges faced by millions when it comes to accessing GP care.
 
“GP support is not only a crucial first base in the diagnosis and treatment of health issues, but also plays a critical role in prevention of serious illness, identifying potentially serious health risks and guiding people to lifestyle changes or support services.
 
“However, as the GP to patient ratio widens, face-to-face appointments fall and the number of fully qualified GP’s drop, conditions that would have once been easily treatable are now becoming more serious and early-warning signs of serious health problems are being missed, adding further pressure on wider NHS services.
 
“Although the NHS waiting list paints a concerning picture of the state of the nation’s health, this emerging crisis we are seeing in primary care is perhaps more worrying. With rising obesity rates and poor nutrition driven by cost-of-living pressures the risks to public health are increasing while the ability of the public health system to detect and manage those risks is reducing. This will result in rising levels of serious illness and reduced productivity unless employers are prepared to step into the breach, and many businesses are beginning to recognise this.”
 
“We are seeing employers increasingly integrate in-office health assessments, emergency health support and regular health screenings into their workplace health offerings to help employees’ quickly recover from illnesses and to protect business growth from the many issues that come with an unwell workforce.”