By Judith Ugwumadu | 5 February 2015
Satisfaction levels with the NHS in Wales fell last year, according to a National Survey for Wales. Despite this, more than nine out of ten people polled were satisfied with care provided by both GPs and hospitals.
A poll of more than 14,000 people was intended to measure satisfaction following the government's five-year plan, rolled out in 2011, which was aimed at improving access to primary health care and ‘consistently high quality care’ in all areas of the health services across the country.
Asked to rate their satisfaction with health services on a scale of 0 (extremely bad) to 10 (extremely good), the average score for 2013/14 was 6.2, down slightly from the average for the same question the previous year, which was 6.4.
However, the report found that 92% were satisfied with care they received from their family doctor, while 91% were satisfied with care they received at hospital.
Responding to the results, health and social services minister Mark Drakeford said there would be some occasions when people don’t get the high standard of service government would expect them to get.
‘But the typical experience of someone using the Welsh NHS results in extremely high levels of satisfaction with the care provided by GPs and in hospitals.’
However, the survey showed that the some people, particularly those in employment were still finding it difficult to book an appointment with a GP.
Almost two in five (39%) of those in work found it difficult to make a convenient GP appointment compared to 36% of people not in employment, the survey showed.
At the same time, 94% of people attending a hospital appointment in the last 12 months were able to get one at a date and time that was convenient to them.
The report comes after the Wales Audit Office said last month that NHS Wales needed to radically transform services in order to free up capacity and reduce long waiting times.
