Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

OH service deliveryReturn to work and rehabilitationSickness absence managementReproductive healthOccupational Health

Report highlights low confidence in UK’s healthcare system

by Ashleigh Webber 6 Jan 2023
by Ashleigh Webber 6 Jan 2023 Two in five UK respondents said it usually takes two to three weeks to get a medical appointment
Shutterstock
Two in five UK respondents said it usually takes two to three weeks to get a medical appointment
Shutterstock

Six in 10 people have been ‘dismissed’ by a healthcare professional, according to research that finds confidence in the UK’s healthcare system is low.

A global survey involving 11,000 people across 11 countries, including 1,000 respondents in the UK, found confidence in the UK’s healthcare provision was rated the lowest, behind nations including South Africa, Brazil, the United States, France, and Germany.

The findings, published by insights company Healthcare Transformers, showed that 27% of UK respondents rated their confidence in the UK’s healthcare service as four or lower, on a scale of one to 10.  One in 10 said they never or rarely feel supported by the NHS.

A variety of factors were given for respondents’ low rating, but one of the most concerning was the fact that 61% claimed to have been “dismissed” by a healthcare professional.

Managing health conditions

Long Covid therapy reports ‘exciting’ results

Quarter of people with COPD wait five years for diagnosis

Back and neck conditions rise as long-term sickness rate increases

Confidence in the UK’s healthcare system varied between genders. Men were more likely than women and non-binary individuals to express confidence in the NHS, with only 5% of men rating their confidence as three out of 10 or lower, compared with 13% of women and non-binary respondents.

Asked about women’s health services, only 53% of female respondents said their concerns are always or mostly addressed.

Waiting times were a concern, with 39% stating that it usually takes them around two to three weeks to get an appointment with a healthcare professional. NHS waits for routine procedures hit another record last year, as the health service continued to grapple with worker shortages and delays stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

However, the time taken to be seen in the UK was ranked average among the 11 countries assessed in the Healthcare Transformers research. In Germany, for example, almost half (48%) of respondents said they had to wait more than two weeks for an appointment.

The research also found that:

  • 57% of UK respondents have experienced a delay in diagnosis – which is potentially of concern to occupational health professionals and employers with staff who are unable to work because of their symptoms.
  • 85% of UK respondents regularly use Google to seek advice for their symptoms before talking to a healthcare professional.
  • One in five female respondents across all countries has not been for a cervical smear test in the past five years, or never at all. In the UK, 23% had a smear test within the past 12 months; testing is recommended every three to five years in the UK, depending on age.
  • 43% of UK women admit to not undergoing regular screenings for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and 15% of women in the UK don’t know what HPV is.
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Nursing union could meet government ‘halfway’ on pay
next post
Welsh Conservatives call for more investment in OH

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today