Almost half of people do not think 10-Year Plan will boost NHS access

Almost half of people think the Government's 10-Year Health Plan will have no difference, or make it harder to get a GP appointment, a new survey shows.

Almost half of people do not think 10-Year Plan will boost NHS access

The survey of 1,023 adults in Britain, conducted by Ipsos for the PA news agency, reveals that more than four in 10 also believe the 10-Year Health Plan will make no difference or will not improve waiting times in A&E.

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.

In addition, 37% said it will make no difference to waiting times in emergency departments, while 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, 27% of respondents do not support making hospitals fully AI enabled, compared with 44% who would back the move.

In response, a DHSC spokesperson, told PA: ‘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 £29bn, 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.'

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