"Today’s data from the ONS demonstrates yet further evidence of the creaking state of the nation’s health service with millions of people every month facing difficulties getting an appointment with their GP."
- Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at Broadstone
Of those surveyed, 90% of adults said the cost of living continues to be the nation’s biggest concern, followed by the NHS (86%), the economy (72%), climate change & the environment (62%), and housing (57%). Compared to last month, 52% said their cost of living had increased, 45% said it’d stayed the same, while only 3% experienced a decrease. Among those who said their cost of living had increased, grocery expenses (90%) were cited as the biggest factor, followed by fuel (70%), gas or electricity (59%), rent or mortgage payments (20%), public transport (20%), and childcare or care costs (7%). Of those paying energy bills, 50% reported that these costs were easy to afford, while 44% said these bills were difficult to afford and 5% had fallen behind on payments.
However, when asked if their household could afford to pay an unexpected, but necessary, expense of £850, 61% said they would be able to make the payment, only 26% said they wouldn’t, and 13% said they didn’t know or preferred not to say.
To help reduce costs, 51% said they are shopping around more, 41% are spending less on food shopping & essentials, 67% reduced non-essential spending, 31% are cutting back on non-essential journeys in a vehicle, 50% are using less fuel, gas & electricity, 23% are improving their homes to be more energy efficient, 31% are dipping into savings, 16% are relying on credit cards more than usual, and 3% are receiving support from charities, including food banks. Only 9% of those surveyed said they weren’t taking these measures.
Among those currently paying rent or mortgages, 40% reported an increase in cost, leading to 43% of adults finding it difficult to afford rent or mortgage payments. However, most adults (55%) said their rent or mortgage payments hadn't increased with 51% saying it wasn’t difficult to afford and only 5% falling behind on payments.
While discussing access to healthcare, of the 52% that had tried to contact (in-person, on the phone or online) a GP Practice in the last month, 32% said it had been difficult to reach reception. Only 16% said it had been very easy and 10% claimed it had been very difficult. With over 27m people attempting to call their GP every month, this equates to roughly 8.8m people struggling to achieve routine contact with a doctor, either for themselves or a loved one.
Commenting on these findings, Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at Broadstone, has said:
“Today’s data from the ONS demonstrates yet further evidence of the creaking state of the nation’s health service with millions of people every month facing difficulties getting an appointment with their GP.
“GP access is critical. It offers patients a quick way to diagnose and treat health issues before they worsen into longer-term illnesses that can threaten lives and livelihoods. If people are struggling to get appointments, chronic illnesses could be left to fester ultimately driving longer-term health implications across the country.”
