Poll finds improving GP access is top priority for public

GOVERNMENT'S HEADLINE PLEDGE TO CUT WAITING TIMES FOR ROUTINE TREATMENTS RANKS ONLY FIFTH FOR NHS PRIORITIES

- 

THE Government's flagship NHS policy is not a top priority for the general public, a new poll suggests.

The public's top priority for the NHS is making it easier to access GP appointments, followed by improving A&E waiting times and reducing the number of staff leaving the NHS, the Health Foundation think tank found.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's ‘plan for change’ pledged that by July 2029, some 92 per cent of patients will be seen within 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment such as hip and knee replacements.

But cutting waiting times for routine hospital services ranks only fifth for the public in terms of NHS priorities, the poll suggests.

Researchers found that public confidence in the Government's NHS policies ‘remains low’ after just over half (53 per cent) said they disagree that the Government has the right policies for the health service, compared to 16 per cent who agree.

They said that public perceptions of the NHS ‘remain negative overall, but there are some signs that views are ‘slowly improving’.

Some 83 per cent feel the NHS’s standard of care has stayed the same or worsened in the past year, with 41 per cent anticipating further decline in the next 12 months.