Almost half of people do not think 10-year plan will boost GP access
However, there is huge support for some of the ideas included in the blueprint, with the overwhelming majority backing the creation of neighbourhood health centres, the expansion of the NHS app and more mental health support in schools and colleges.
The 10-year health plan was unveiled by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier this month, and set out a series of shifts to bring care much closer to people's homes, reducing the reliance on hospitals and A&E.
Key reforms include an enhanced NHS app, giving patients more control over their care, new neighbourhood health centres open six days a week and at least 12 hours a day, and new laws on food and alcohol to prevent ill health.
A survey of 1,023 adults in Britain, conducted by Ipsos for the PA news agency, asked people how they think the plan will impact access to healthcare, such as getting a GP appointment, A&E waiting times and waiting times for routine hospital treatment.
Some 35% said the plan will have no impact on getting a GP appointment, while 14% believe it will make things harder.
This compares with the 29% of people who said they think it will make getting an appointment easier.
More than a third (37%) said it will make no difference to waiting times in emergency departments, while almost one in 10 (9%), said they believe it could worsen waiting times, compared with 30% who said it will improve them.
Meanwhile, 31% said the plan will have no impact on waiting times for hospital treatment, 11% believe the plan will worsen waiting times and 34% said they think the measures will help.
However, a number of proposals outlined in the plan were strongly backed by the public.
Some 84% said they supported the creation of a single patient record, while 78% backed the creation of neighbourhood health centres, 73% support the expansion of the NHS app and 72% are in favour of more mental health support in schools and colleges.
However, more than a quarter (27%) of people do not support making hospitals fully AI enabled, compared with 44% who would back the move.
Almost one in five (18%) said they would not support so-called 'patient power payments', which would allow patients to hold back some of the payment for their care if they are not satisfied, while 42% would support the measure.
Some proposals aimed at helping people to lead healthier lives were also strongly supported.
A ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks was backed by 78% of people, while 69% back plans to restrict junk food advertising.
However, almost one in five (18%) tended to disagree with measures that could see alcoholic drinks labelled with nutritional information, although 57% backed the move.
One in four people think the measures included in the plan will make no difference to patients, the poll found.
Almost one in 10 (9%) said they think the changes will make things worse, while 35% believe it will improve the health service.
A similar proportion, 23%, said the 10-year health plan will make no difference to NHS staff, while 13% said it could make things worse and 33% believe it will have a positive effect.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We're getting on with the job of delivering for patients, with NHS waiting lists falling by 260,000 since July 2024, delivering more than 4.6 million additional appointments since the general election and recruiting over 1,900 extra GPs to fix the front door of the NHS.
'Backed by an additional £29 billion, our 10-year health plan will seize the opportunities provided by new technology, medicines and innovation to deliver better care for all patients, no matter where they live or how much they earn, and better value for taxpayers.
'It is no surprise the plan is popular with patients, it was the result of the biggest conversation with staff, patients and the public since the formation of the NHS, with more than a quarter of a million contributions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Pharmacies warn of unsustainable demand for weight loss medication
Many more patients are interested in using weight loss medication than are actually suitable for treatment, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents more than 6,000 independent community pharmacies. Some 21% of people who were interviewed in a NPA-commissioned poll agreed they had attempted to access weight loss treatments in the last year, either online or in person at a pharmacy, rising to 35% of 16 to 34-year-olds. This is compared to only 7% of those over 55. There were also 41% who agreed they would opt for weight loss treatments on the NHS if they were made available to them. This figure rose to 64% among 25 to 34-year-olds, despite many of these patients being unlikely to be clinically eligible. The NPA says the poll, in which 2,002 people were interviewed, reflects an increasing demand for private and NHS weight loss services. NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century, but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it. 'It's clear from this polling that many more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than would actually be suitable for treatment. 'We want to make sure supplies are carefully managed so that those in most clinical need can benefit from weight loss medication.' Spiralling demand, fuelled partly by social media, could see people being tempted to resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies staffed by medical professionals, they fear. Online suppliers may not be offering weight loss jabs alongside a structured programme aimed at helping them change their behaviour. Wegovy and Mounjaro are among a number of drugs that are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS. Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in patients with a BMI of over 30 or between 27 and 30 but with a weight-related co-morbidity. This occurs when an individual who has obesity develops another medical condition due to their weight. The NHS currently rolls out Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four co-morbidities, the NPA says. The NPA is calling for new regulations to protect patients buying weight loss medication online, so there is a full two-way consultation and all relevant historical medical records are reviewed before the treatment is prescribed. They are waiting for more details about the role pharmacies could play in the rollout of the NHS weight management programme. At least 85% of weight loss medication prescriptions were made by pharmacies in April this year, the NPA estimates. Mr Picard said: 'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care, including lifestyle advice. 'Pharmacies are well placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, and help people make the best use of these powerful medicines.'
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
I was a Gen Z screen addict. Then I took drastic action
A lot can happen in seven hours. You could fly from London to Dubai, get through a full school day or enjoy a luxurious night's sleep. Me? I used to spend seven hours a day staring at my phone screen. Now I average less than one. I'm 22 and I've spent an alarming percentage of my life glued to my phone. It was everything — my entertainment, my social lifeline, my procrastination tool, my 3am therapist. I'm far from alone. Data shows that Generation Z's daily screen time is on average more than nine hours a day, which is more than any other generation. That's about 136 days a year spent staring at a screen. Meanwhile, the NHS reports a steep rise in mental health disorders among young people, which tracks closely with the explosion in digital device use.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Pharmacies warn of unsustainable demand for weight loss medication
Many more patients are interested in using weight loss medication than are actually suitable for treatment, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents more than 6,000 independent community pharmacies. Some 21% of people who were interviewed in a NPA-commissioned poll agreed they had attempted to access weight loss treatments in the last year, either online or in person at a pharmacy, rising to 35% of 16 to 34-year-olds. This is compared to only 7% of those over 55. There were also 41% who agreed they would opt for weight loss treatments on the NHS if they were made available to them. This figure rose to 64% among 25 to 34-year-olds, despite many of these patients being unlikely to be clinically eligible. The NPA says the poll, in which 2,002 people were interviewed, reflects an increasing demand for private and NHS weight loss services. NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century, but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it. 'It's clear from this polling that many more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than would actually be suitable for treatment. 'We want to make sure supplies are carefully managed so that those in most clinical need can benefit from weight loss medication.' Spiralling demand, fuelled partly by social media, could see people being tempted to resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies staffed by medical professionals, they fear. Online suppliers may not be offering weight loss jabs alongside a structured programme aimed at helping them change their behaviour. Wegovy and Mounjaro are among a number of drugs that are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS. Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in patients with a BMI of over 30 or between 27 and 30 but with a weight-related co-morbidity. This occurs when an individual who has obesity develops another medical condition due to their weight. The NHS currently rolls out Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four co-morbidities, the NPA says. The NPA is calling for new regulations to protect patients buying weight loss medication online, so there is a full two-way consultation and all relevant historical medical records are reviewed before the treatment is prescribed. They are waiting for more details about the role pharmacies could play in the rollout of the NHS weight management programme. At least 85% of weight loss medication prescriptions were made by pharmacies in April this year, the NPA estimates. Mr Picard said: 'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care, including lifestyle advice. 'Pharmacies are well placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, and help people make the best use of these powerful medicines.'
