‘The public has recognised tackling A&E waiting times is a priority – it’s time the government did the same’ – RCEM

2 April 2025

Politicians must make addressing the Emergency Care crisis a political priority as new research reveals that public satisfaction in A&E services has reached an all-time low.

That’s the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) and comes as the findings of the latest British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2024 have been published today (2 April 2025) showing satisfaction with A&E services has plummeted.

The survey, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) from 16 September to 27 October 2024 for The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust, asked 2,945 people across England, Scotland and Wales, for their thoughts on the NHS and adult social care services.

It also questioned 933 people about their satisfaction with specific NHS services, as well as their views on NHS priorities, principles and funding.

The research – which has been carried out every year since 1983 – found:

More than half (52%) of respondents were dissatisfied with NHS A&E services – the highest on record – up 15% from 37% in 2023. Those who were satisfied stood at 19% – a fall from 31% the previous year.
69% of people were very or quite dissatisfied with the length of time it took to be seen in A&E
The most important priorities cited by respondents for the NHS included ‘improving waiting times in A&E (49%), which was considered the second most important – behind access to GPs but ahead of elective care waiting lists.

RCEM President, Dr Adrian Boyle, said: “This annual survey is a barometer of public feeling and people – voters – have given their verdict loudly and clearly.

“The public aren’t daft and can see what is happening in our Emergency Departments. I worry that this situation stops people attending when they should.

“But it is hardly surprising when the message from the Westminster government is that the health service is broken. If that is their assessment, they must get on with the job of fixing it. And it is fixable.

“The public has stated that, behind GPs, the service they most want prioritised is A&E, but we only ever hear about what has been done to improve elective waiting times.

“The public has identified A&E as a priority. It is time the government did the same.”

The survey also revealed:

In 2024, just one in five British adults (21%) were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with the way in which the NHS runs. This is the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began.
Only 13% of respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with social care (the same figure as 2023). 53% of respondents were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied
Satisfaction with GP services continued to fall, mirroring the trend over the last few years. 31% of respondents said they were satisfied with GP services, compared with 34% in 2023
62% were very or quite dissatisfied with the length of time it takes to get a GP appointment, and 65% for the length of time it takes to get hospital care.
Most (44%) believe the government is spending too little money on the NHS
More than 75% continue to support the founding principles of the NHS, with little sign of change compared to the previous year. However, the proportion ‘definitely’ agreeing that it should be available to everyone fell significantly from 67% to 56%.

The BSA follows a survey by Ipsos Mori conducted in February 2025 which revealed that almost 80% of people polled would avoid attending an A&E because they were worried about ending up waiting for hours on a trolley in a corridor.