The report found that 14.1% of adults in England are currently on a hospital waiting list and of these people more than two in five (43.6%) rated their overall experience of waiting for their appointment as poor, with 41.0% left dissatisfied with the communication of waiting times.
Commenting on the data, Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at independent consultancy Broadstone, said: “It paints a mixed picture, with signs of some patients seeing improvements in GP services but significant challenges persisting in hospital care, with over two in five patients on the waiting list rating their experience as poor.
“A similar proportion of respondent’s report feeling frustrated by the lack of clarity on when their treatment will take place - a gap in communication that inevitably adds to anxiety and frustration."
Satisfaction was higher when it comes to GP interactions. Overall, nearly three-quarters (73.6%) of those who contacted their GP in the last 28 days said their overall experience was positive. Over the last 12 months, a higher proportion said services had improved (19.4%) rather than deteriorated (10.7%) although the vast majority said that they had not noticed a difference (61.9%).
“It is a striking statistic that 14% of adults are on an NHS waiting list for hospital treatment. With the threat of further strike action looming, pressure on already stretched resources is set to intensify, making it even harder to bring down these waiting lists," Hill continued.
“This will continue to fuel demand for private healthcare options as employers look to safeguard the wellbeing and productivity of their teams, and individuals seek faster routes to diagnosis and treatment in order to protect both their health and their livelihoods."
