The Measuring NHS experience and satisfaction across the UK survey showed the number of positive experiences in England fell from 83% in 2021 to 72% in 2022.

In Scotland, the percentage reporting a positive experience fell from 79% in 2020 to 67% in 2022.

The percentage of face-to-face appointments since the onset of the pandemic has declined significantly, from 85% 2020 to 48% in 2021 in England, from 87% in 2019 to 2020 to 37% in 2021 to 2022 in Scotland and from 67% in 2020 to 2021 to 50% in 2021 to 2022 in Wales.

The percentage of people who felt listened to remained relatively stable in England and Scotland between 2018 and 2022 at between 85% and 89% in the former and 86% and 93% in the latter.

Similarly, the percentage of people who felt they had been given enough time remained above 80%, at between 83.5% and 88.7% in England and between 81% and 89% in Scotland.

However, just 43% in England felt it was ‘very easy' or ‘easy' to make contact with their GP between 18 March 2023 and 24 March 2024, with Wales even lower at 39%.

Scotland performed better, however, with 50% reporting good access to GPs.

Cancer care

Average ratings out of 10 for overall cancer care in England remained relatively constant between 2021 and 2022, at 8.9 in both years. Similarly, Wales ranged from 8.9 to 8.7 between 2016 and 2021. Northern Ireland reported a score of 8.8 in its only year in the survey in 2018.

In Scotland, the percentage of people answering with the most favourable response (7 to 10 out of 10) remained consistent between 2015 and 2018 at 94-95%.

Scores for the administration of cancer have been relatively stable across all four UK countries with over 85% rating it very good or good between 2015 and 2022.

Scores were significantly lower, however, for information provided for looking after someone with cancer at home with the percentage of most favourable responses ranging from 55-58% in England, 45% in Wales, 52-57% in Scotland and 65-66% in Northern Ireland.