In The Health Foundation survey, 39% cited GP access as their main concern, followed by A&E waiting times (34%) and improving NHS working conditions (29%), with the Government's flagship policy of cutting waiting times for routine hospital services coming only fifth.

A record 82% were concerned about GP pressures (up from 78% in May 2024 and 73% in May 2022), with not enough doctors topping concerns (41%), followed by pressures from an ageing population (29%) and a lack of funding (27%).

Only 16% felt the Government had the right policies in place for the NHS, the same as November 2024, although the poll took place before publication of the 10-Year Health Plan. Just 8% backed Government plans for the NHS before the election.

In better news, the percentage of people thinking the NHS improved in the last 12 months rose to 13% from 9% in May 2024, the highest level since 2020.

Views of local services also improved with 46% rating them as providing a good service and 28% disagreeing, down from 32% in November 2024.

Despite waiting lists being at their lowest in over two years, down from 7.6m to 7.4m, more people believed waiting list had increased in the 12 months since the election (37%) than decreased (24%).

An overwhelming majority (86%) supported the NHS being free at the point of delivery, with 85% thinking the NHS should provide a comprehensive service available to everyone and 83% thinking it should be primarily funded through taxation.

Only 8% agreed the Government had the right policies for social care, with 51% disagreeing (compared with 43% in November 2024). Almost two-thirds (63%) disagreed that the Government had the right policies in May 2024, prior to the General Election.

Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at The Health Foundation, said: ‘While the Government has made improving NHS waiting times its headline pledge, the public's top priority remains easier access to GP services with tackling elective waiting times only fifth among their biggest concerns. Tackling unacceptably long waits for routine hospital treatment is essential, but resources are constrained and trade-offs are inevitable, so the risk is that slower progress is made on delivering the priorities that matter most to the public.

‘Overall, the public mood on health and care remains largely downbeat but there are signs that perceptions are slowly improving. Views of local health services are more positive than perceptions of how the NHS is performing overall, especially among people with recent experience of accessing care.'

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Daniel Elkeles, chief executive, NHS Providers, said: ‘It's good to see that more people think that the general standard of care got better in the last 12 months, the highest recorded number since 2020.

‘Stretched NHS services are working hard to turn the tide on falling public satisfaction and trusts are working flat out to give patients the best care possible.'

Ruth Rankine, primary care director and neighbourhood lead at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘This new polling shows just how important GP access and A&E waits are to the public, who are often left frustrated when they cannot access the care they need. Primary care is the front door of the NHS and the first port of call for patients seeking care, so it is no surprise that so many people are concerned about the pressure it is facing.

‘It is welcome to see that despite falling satisfaction, the public's faith in the NHS model as a service for everyone that is free at the point of delivery and primarily funded by taxation remains strong.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government is turning around over a decade of neglect, fixing the front door to the NHS and making it fit for the future. 

‘We're listening to people's priorities, putting GPs at the heart of our shift to neighbourhood health services as part of our 10-Year Health Plan, and we're already making progress.

‘We've recruited more than 2,000 extra GPs in the past year, delivered a record £1bn boost and funded vital upgrades to surgeries, as well as cutting red tape so doctors can spend more time caring for patients.'