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Great expectations: the changing nature of the public’s relationship with the NHS

What are the biggest issues and priorities for the NHS, and what do people expect from our health care system in the 21st century? As we start a new research project, Beth Adams reflects on the insights we’ve had so far.

Despite the NHS and the challenges it faces rarely being far from the headlines in recent years, there has been relatively little research done into whether – and how – the public’s priorities are changing and what people expect from the NHS in the 21st century.

With 2018 marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS, at The King’s Fund we’re just starting a project that will explore the public’s relationship with our health service. We hope to gain a better understanding of what people currently think about the NHS and how opinions and expectations have changed over time; spark debate about patient rights and responsibilities; and help to develop a body of evidence to inform future decision-making about the NHS.

In undertaking this work we hope to reach as wide an audience as possible, and we started our research by asking people to contribute ideas on social media (Twitter and Facebook) using the hashtag #KFpublic. The Fund’s sizeable and varied audience made this a good place to begin, and as the lead on our social media strategy I was pleased to be able to use this as an opportunity to increase engagement and conversation on our social media platforms. We asked two key questions.

  • What do you think the main issues are for the NHS?

  • If you could ask the public one question about their relationship with – and expectations of – the NHS, what would it be?

We’ve had a really good response with many insightful contributions from people with a range of backgrounds and experience (directors, managers, clinicians, allied health professionals, students, service users and carers, to name but a few) – which in itself shows that the NHS is important to many people. Thank you to all who contributed. We were struck by the breadth of issues raised, although several common themes emerged.

One of the most frequently raised issues was the problems arising from a complex and fragmented health and social care system. Many people feel that excessive bureaucracy and inadequate or confusing communication – both between organisations or departments and between services and their users – is often hindering timely access to treatment.

There was inevitably some discussion around politics, with government policy linked to the funding and staffing issues currently faced by the NHS. Political involvement was blamed for a lack of stability, with ‘constant political interference and reorganisation wasting time and resource’. Some also mentioned the role of the media, namely the impact of inaccurate or biased reporting and how this can sway public opinion.

Probably the most frequently raised issues – ones that we at the Fund often talk about – were those of funding and the capacity needed to manage current levels of demand for NHS services, closely linked with workforce and staffing issues. Insufficient service provision, limited access and postcode lotteries, quality of care, waiting times and delays, understaffing, too many managers, staff working conditions and pay were all mentioned. Not only do these appear to be the most pressing issues for the public as service users but also, understandably, for those who work in the NHS.

And finally, there was much discussion around the expectations of those who use the NHS, and the extent to which people should be expected to take responsibility for their own health.

This last point was echoed in what people said they would like to ask the public about their relationship with the NHS, which in turn raised many bigger questions around the breadth of the NHS remit, personal responsibility for one’s own health (and the mitigating factors of social context, public health and education in this), collective responsibility for the NHS, digital technology and its role in information and communications, equality of access and quality of care – and the extent to which the NHS is valued as an essential institution.

These are all well-known issues, but what the priorities are and how best to tackle them is somewhat subjective and everyone’s personal experience is different. It’s also likely that opinions change over time. Of course, the comments we have collated so far are just a sample of views from people who follow The King’s Fund on social media. Our next step will be to poll a representative sample of the public to find out more about what they think of the NHS and their expectations of the service – and we’ll be continuing the discussion on social media throughout the course of this project.

It is vital that policy is informed by the views of a wide cross-section of society, to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to put forward their opinions, and that these opinions are listened to, understood and taken into account as the health and social care system evolves. Society has changed since the NHS was established in 1948 – and so have people’s circumstances, needs and expectations. Now seems an appropriate time to step back and consider the public’s changing relationship with the NHS, and what impact this might have on its future.