Government is to blame for rising NHS waiting lists, poll says

Half of voters blame government for growing NHS waiting lists, new poll reveals.

Poll for magazine « More in common» reveals that only one in 10 believe that striking doctors and nurses are responsible.

The findings will come as a blow to Rishi Sunak, who has made clearing the backlog one of his top five tasks. pledges ahead of the next election.

Earlier this month, the prime minister pointed the finger at health worker strikes as the waiting list in England topped 7.5 million.

Nearly one in seven people are currently stuck on a waiting list for standard NHS care, including hip and knee surgeries

When asked who they blame for the current situation, 48% of respondents answered that the government, compared with 10% who chose the strike of doctors and nurses.

Another 31% said that factors beyond the control of the city were to blame. -on Sunak, primarily the effects of the Covid pandemic.

1008 NHS Waitlist

The survey also showed how difficult it would be for Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer to keep raising taxes to pay for the NHS.

When asked how much more they were willing to pay per month to help fund health care, most people answered as little as £5. The younger generation were willing to pay the most, with teens aged 16 to 24 saying they were willing to pay an extra £15.

Luke Thrill, UK director of More in Common, reported the results. showed that Mr. Sunak faces the difficult task of convincing voters that he owns the problem.

“In our focus groups, we regularly hear horror stories of people struggling to get NHS appointments or getting stuck on long waiting lists,” he said.

“As this survey shows, the public clearly blames the government. for long waiting lists and the current state of the NHS. This means the government is under pressure to show evidence of improvement within the next 12 months.»

Mr Sunak promised that «the NHS waiting lists will be reduced and people will get the help they need faster.» Just in time for the next election.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said: “Reducing waiting lists is one of this government's top five priorities, and we want patients to access treatment as quickly as possible. .

“We have virtually eliminated the 18-month wait and are taking immediate action to reduce the wait to over a year. Our Planned Recovery Task Force is committed to leveraging the independent sector so that patients can be treated faster, and we are launching 13 new independent community diagnostic centers.”