What’s other people’s experience of the NHS?

‘The NHS responds well in an emergency. We have seen this during the Covid-19 pandemic’

‘The NHS has pioneered many successful treatments’

‘The NHS is free to use’

And these are the things people find frustrating. You may recognise some of these too:

‘Services are often ‘one size fits all’

‘I have very little choice and control over how my care is provided’

‘There seems to be quite a lot of missed appointments and wastage in the NHS’

‘Some people are disadvantaged by the way health, care and support services work’

And we know there is also a hard reality:

There are more resources available to improve people’s health and care – new machines, better cancer care but there isn’t a ‘bottomless pit’. Also, demand is growing.

How do these issues match or differ from your original thoughts?

When we’ve asked people how things could be better, they’ve frequently said:

‘Services would be better if they were more joined-up’

‘I want my health professional to understand what’s important in my life so they can help me make good decisions’

‘I want to be more in control over who comes into my home to provide my care and support’

Is there anything you’d add to the points raised in this step?