This new report from Policy Exchange – based on bespoke polling of 2,000 representative Britons by Redfield & Wilton Strategies in 2024 – examines the perceptions of & priorities the British public have for the NHS.

Its findings include:

• That the NHS ‘provides all services free at point of use’ was less of a priority to the public than ensuring access to a GP and treating major conditions. 61% cited improved access to GPs as a top priority whilst 44% cited treatment for life threatening conditions, compared with 41% who identified the NHS providing its services free of charge as a priority.
• Young and urban respondents are more open to major reforms to primary care, such as enabling direct access to secondary care, with young voters 13% more likely to cite this as a top priority than older voters and urban voters 9% more likely to do so than rural voters.  
• Improving access to NHS dentistry is a top priority for the public – with those struggling financially 4% more likely than average to identify this as a top priority.
• Those intending to vote for Reform were the most disillusioned with the current performance of the NHS, with a third stating they were unsure they would receive ‘good treatment on the NHS’.
• ‘Medical tourism’ was perceived to be a problem for the NHS across the political spectrum. 57% of those intending to vote Labour believed ‘medical tourism’ was a ‘problem’ or ‘significant problem’ in the NHS today, with voters for all left-of-centre parties concerned by the issue. 

The report recommends:

•  The Government develop a National Dentistry Plan to guarantee essential and preventive dental services in the NHS as a basic entitlement- equivalent to access to a primary school place or to access to a GP;
• The NHS to introduce a “three strikes” rule and a £50 fine for those who repeatedly miss NHS appointments;
•  For the Ten-Year Plan to include reforms to enable patients to self-refer to a wider range of ‘community clinics’ in primary care for the first time;
• For an increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge to £2,000 per annum.

• The Telegraph
• The Daily Mail
• The Daily Express
• The Independent
• POLITICO’s London Playbook