Only 5% of doctors support the NHS reforms

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Two polls today deliver an embarrassing indictment of the Coalition’s health policy.

A third of doctors say NHS reforms have had a negative impact on patient care

It’s been a year since the NHS was “liberated“. But the most important doctors’ union has made no secret of its opposition to the increasing privatisation of the National Health Service.

At today’s British Medical Association’s annual representative meeting, delegates were shown the results of a damning survey of 516 doctors.

5 %
A survey of doctors by the British Medical Association has found that only 5% of them are satisfied with the reforms so far.

The survey also found that:

  • 28% of doctors believe it was having a negative impact on patient care;
  • Half have seen a rise in waiting times for patients;
  • Four in ten doctors described their morale as being ‘low’ or ‘very low’, a rise from 22% at the beginning of the year.

And what does the public think?

The surprising finding is that 57% of patients said they are satisfied with the running of the NHS, with only a quarter saying that are dissatisfied.

On the other hand, people are tired of government rhetoric on the subject. Three out of four people believe the NHS is used as a political football, with parties designing health policy with the intention of winning votes rather than implementing a long terms strategy that helps patients and supports the healthcare system.

This according to another survey of 2,000 people carried out on behalf of the British Medical Association.

65 %
believe the NHS should manage itself without the involvement of politicians.