A shocking study reveals that one-third of adults lack confidence in their ability to access healthcare services in a timely manner, including GP appointments, ambulance services, and NHS hospital treatment. Healthwatch England, which conducted the study with 2,507 participants, describes the findings as “worrying” and urges health leaders to address these negative perceptions to ensure patients seek the help they need. Struggles with finances and older age contribute to this lack of confidence. These results come at a time when waiting lists for healthcare services have ballooned to a record 7.6 million people, about one in seven of the population.
Out of hours GP services ranked the worst, with 50% of people lacking confidence in their ability to see a family doctor promptly during evenings and weekends. Non-urgent operations and procedures (46%), mental health support (44%), GP services during the day (42%), and dental care (39%) followed closely behind. Rob Fleay, a 52-year-old IT consultant from Derby, has been waiting for over a year to see a consultant after his bowel surgery and struggled to reach his GP during this time.
The survey asked participants to rate their confidence in securing timely access to various NHS services, including A&E, ambulances, non-urgent operations, GPs, pharmacists, mental health support, and dentists. On average, 32% of respondents were not confident or very confident in accessing these services.
Healthwatch England found that confidence levels were higher among those who had recently used NHS services. However, overall confidence in accessing timely care has decreased since the beginning of the year, with 43% of people feeling less confident compared to 16% who feel more confident. Louise Ansari, the CEO of Healthwatch England, emphasizes the urgent need to address the negative perceptions and increase confidence in NHS services, especially as demand is expected to rise during the winter.
Healthwatch England suggests employing more staff to support anxious patients on waiting lists, providing regular updates and health support, and ensuring access to physiotherapy and pain relief. The organization also highlights health inequalities in access to care, with the elderly and those from poorer backgrounds expressing less confidence in timely access.
It is crucial for healthcare leaders to take action to improve patient communication and accurately record treatment plans to assure people that the NHS is there for them. As the NHS faces increased pressures and the impact of industrial action, encouraging individuals to seek the care they need through symptom spotting campaigns and providing support to those on waiting lists is essential.
An NHS England spokesperson acknowledges the ongoing pressures but assures patients that they can access the necessary care, emphasizing the improvements delivered through post-pandemic recovery plans. They highlight that category two ambulance response times have improved, the longest waits for treatment have been significantly reduced, and GP practices are seeing more patients every month compared to last year.
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