Labour has failed to make any notable improvements to the NHS and is unlikely to do so before the next general election, voters believe.
Patients say they are not finding it any easier to access a GP, dentist, routine hospital treatment or A&E care, according to an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail.
Even half (50 per cent) of Labour supporters admit Keir Starmer has made little to no progress in delivering on his manifesto promise to ‘get the NHS back on its feet’.
This rises to 63 per cent among the wider population and 80 per cent among Reform voters.
The damning verdict comes as the Prime Minister prepares to mark one year in power this Friday and unveil his 10 Year Plan for Health on Thursday.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto said: ‘We should all be able to trust that the NHS will be there for us when we need it, whether it is a GP appointment, an ambulance, or help at A&E.’
But the survey of 1,063 British adults reveals 65 per cent have seen little or no progress in accessing a GP over the past year.
Some 66 per cent have seen equally small gains in dentistry, 62 per cent in routine hospital treatment and 64 per cent in A&E care.
The government’s manifesto stressed that ‘getting the NHS back to working for patients means ending the workforce crisis’ but it is currently facing the threat of further walkouts by resident doctors and consultants over pay, which are likely to undermine efforts to improve standards.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has spoken at length about how he wants to turnaround the NHS by focusing on preventing ill health, adopting new technology and shifting care from hospitals to the community.
And these are likely to be the central planks of the upcoming 10 Year Plan.
But just 30 per cent of adults surveyed are ‘fairly confident’ or ‘very confident’ he will succeed in getting the NHS ‘back on its feet’ before the next general election.
Ratings for each area of care are similarly poor, with no more than one in three expecting significant improvements.
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for elderly Britons, said: ‘Labour made a lot of promises about the NHS going into the general election but have so far failed to deliver.
‘People are thoroughly dispirited with the lack of progress that has been made, especially given the billions of extra pounds that have been given to the NHS.
‘I’m sure they will be asking where it has all gone? It’s like a huge blackhole.’
He added: ‘Waiting lists may have fallen a little but not enough for people to notice and they are still struggling to get a GP appointment and access a dentist.’
Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat’s health and social care spokesperson, said Labour’s performance has been ‘completely lacklustre’ and ‘devoid of any ambition that will deliver meaningful change for patients and their families’.
She added: ‘After years of the Conservatives running our NHS into the ground, people across this country were desperate for a government that would finally fix the crisis in our healthcare system.
‘This government needs to immediately tackle our healthcare crisis head on, from GP waiting times to hospital corridor care and the crisis in social care.
‘Patients must not be left behind by their decisions. It’s the least they deserve.’
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations, said: ‘Health leaders are fully aware of how much work is needed to recover performance standards and repair the public’s trust in the NHS.
‘The next few years are likely to prove the most crucial in the health service’s 75-year history.
‘Over the last twelve months, the government has been laying the groundwork for its reform of the health service and ministers have been honest that change will take time.
‘The government has set some very ambitious goals for the NHS and should be credited for prioritising the health service with what limited extra funding is available.
‘While there have already been some improvements to cut waiting lists in the last year, health leaders hope that public satisfaction levels will improve more noticeably once the forthcoming ten-year health plan is put into action.’
A government spokesperson said: ‘We inherited a health system in crisis and made rebuilding the NHS an immediate priority.
‘Our Plan for Change has already delivered 4.2 million extra NHS appointments – more than doubling our target of two million in the first year.
‘Thanks to record investment, reforms and the hard work of NHS staff, the overall waiting list fell in April for the first time in 17 years, dropping by almost a quarter of a million since we took office.
‘With the investment and reform we are delivering through our Plan for Change, we will rebuild the NHS.’
