The Royal College of Surgeons of England responds to survey on public satisfaction with the NHS

The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust have published analysis of the 2021 British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) on public satisfaction with the NHS. Commenting on this, Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said:

“It is disappointing but not surprising that the public’s satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to its lowest levels in 25 years.  Despite the best efforts of frontline staff, the NHS in England has not met the statutory 18-week waiting time target for planned hospital treatment since February 2016. The pandemic exacerbated this situation and the number of people waiting for planned treatment across Britain is now at a record high.  Long waits can be devastating for patients. So we must get back to providing timely surgery and to meeting the waiting times standards. The NHS is creating surgical hubs where more operations can happen and we want to see these rolled out in every area.

“However, tackling the waiting list must not come at the expense of staff wellbeing.  We need a workforce plan, to deliver solutions to staff vacancies and to make sure we have enough staff to meet patient demand in the future.  The UK government should accept the workforce amendment to the Health and Care Bill. It is backed by 100 organisations and the House of Lords.”

Notes to editors

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.

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