How satisfied are UK voters with the NHS in 2026?

Only 22% of UK adults are satisfied with NHS performance in May 2026, while 68% are dissatisfied. Waiting lists above 7.5 million patients, poor A&E performance, and difficulty accessing GP appointments are the primary drivers. Satisfaction is higher among over-65s who use the NHS more frequently and lower among 25-44 year olds with young families most likely to encounter waiting times.

What do UK voters think is wrong with the NHS?

In May 2026 polling, 74% of voters say NHS waiting lists are the biggest problem. 62% cite underfunding. 48% cite poor GP access. 42% cite too much management bureaucracy. 38% cite insufficient staffing. Views on solutions diverge sharply: Labour voters prioritise more investment, while Conservative and Reform UK voters are more likely to support structural reforms and greater private sector involvement.

Is Labour's NHS reform agenda supported by voters?

Labour's approach to the NHS — including new hospital construction targets, GP access reforms, and the 40,000 extra appointments commitment — receives general support but limited enthusiasm. 44% say Labour is doing the right things but not fast enough. 28% say Labour's approach is wrong. 18% say it is broadly right. The public recognises that NHS reform takes years, but political pressure builds faster than systems can change.

How long do UK voters expect NHS waiting lists to take to clear?

When asked how long it will take to reduce the NHS waiting list to under 5 million, 32% of voters say more than 5 years, 28% say 3-5 years, only 12% say within 2 years and 18% say it will never happen. This deep pessimism about NHS recovery timescales is one reason why NHS performance remains a central political vulnerability even when the government can point to some progress metrics.

Would UK voters support NHS privatisation?

Only 18% of UK voters support greater NHS privatisation in May 2026, making it one of the least popular policy positions in British politics. Even among Conservative voters, 41% oppose further privatisation. Reform UK voters are split: 36% support more private involvement and 44% oppose it. Labour voters oppose privatisation by 78%. The NHS as a publicly funded, free-at-point-of-use service commands near-universal public support even among voters with other right-of-centre views.

Wes Streeting visiting NHS hospital May 2026

Issues Tracker — NHS & Healthcare

NHS Polling 2026: Who Do Voters Trust on Health?

Q: Which party do UK voters trust most on the NHS?

Labour leads NHS trust at 31% in May 2026, ahead of Reform UK at 18% and Conservatives at 17%. Labour retains the traditional structural advantage on healthcare even with low overall approval ratings. However, the gap has narrowed since July 2024 as voters have not yet seen visible NHS improvement.

68% of UK voters name the NHS a top priority. With 7.5 million on waiting lists, trust in all parties is under pressure.

68%

Name NHS top issue

78%

Say NHS in crisis

7.5m

On waiting lists

62%

Disapprove govt handling

Which Party Do Voters Trust on the NHS?

May 2026

Polling question: "Which party do you trust most to handle the NHS?" Source: composite of YouGov, Ipsos, Survation polls, May 2026.

Labour 31%

Reform UK 18%

Lib Dems 15%

Conservatives 12%

None / Don’t know 24%

Key NHS Polling Numbers

Approval falling

NHS State of Health

78%

Say NHS is “in crisis” or “struggling” — up from 71% in early 2025

↑ 7pp year-on-year

Waiting Lists

7.5m

Estimated patients on NHS waiting lists as of May 2026. Labour pledged to reduce, progress slow.

Broadly flat 2025-2026

Govt Handling

62%

Disapprove of the government’s handling of the NHS. Only 19% approve.

Approval declining

NHS Satisfaction: Long-Term Trend 2010–2026

Historic low

The British Social Attitudes survey has tracked NHS satisfaction since 1983. The pattern from 2010 to 2026 shows a dramatic fall from near-peak satisfaction to record lows.

Year	Overall Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Political context
2010	70%	21%	End of Labour government; NHS spending had increased significantly
2013	61%	26%	Coalition austerity biting; Lansley reforms controversial
2017	57%	29%	NHS winter crisis; A&E performance targets missed
2020	53%	29%	Pre-pandemic; nursing shortages and GP access concerns
2022	36%	41%	Post-pandemic backlog; staff strikes begin; satisfaction falls below 40% for first time
2024	24%	52%	Lowest on record; record waits, strikes, GP access collapse
2026	~22%	~56%	Labour’s investment beginning; slight A&E improvement but waiting lists flat

Source: British Social Attitudes Survey (King’s Fund / Nuffield Trust). 2026 figure is estimated from composite polling.

NHS Waiting Times by Specialty: What Polling Shows Voters Feel

Polling asks voters about their personal experiences of NHS waiting times. The data below combines NHS England operational statistics with voter experience surveys (YouGov, Ipsos, May 2026).

Specialty	Median Wait	% Waited 18+ weeks	Voters cite as “unacceptable”
Orthopaedics	38 weeks	61%	79%
Mental health (CAMHS)	32 weeks	58%	84%
Ophthalmology	28 weeks	52%	71%
Cardiology	19 weeks	34%	68%
General Surgery	22 weeks	41%	73%
GP appointment	13 days	n/a	82%
A&E (4-hour target)	n/a	36% miss target	77%

Wait times: NHS England RTT data, Q1 2026 estimate. “Unacceptable” figure: % of respondents rating this wait time as unacceptable in YouGov/Ipsos polling.

Should the NHS Use More Private Sector Capacity? Voter Views

One of the most contested NHS policy debates: using independent sector hospitals to clear backlogs. Polling shows a split that crosses traditional party lines.

54%

Support NHS using private sector to cut waits

27%

Oppose any private sector role in NHS

61%

Say NHS will not survive without fundamental reform

Policy position	Overall support	Labour voters	Reform voters	Con voters
Use private hospitals to clear backlog (paid by NHS)	54%	44%	72%	68%
Let NHS charge for some services to raise revenue	38%	24%	61%	52%
Keep NHS fully publicly owned, no private involvement	42%	61%	22%	31%
Increase NHS budget by 5%+ per year for next 5 years	67%	74%	58%	62%

Source: YouGov/Ipsos composite polling May 2026. Figures rounded to nearest whole number.

Context & Analysis

Health Secretary Wes Streeting NHS hospital visit

Labour’s NHS Problem

Labour entered government in 2024 as the party voters most trusted on the NHS, a long-standing advantage. But with waiting lists still near record highs and satisfaction at historic lows, that lead is shrinking. The 2026 polling shows Labour still ahead at 31% — but Reform UK has climbed to 18%, drawing support from voters who want radical change rather than incremental reform.

Reform UK’s Healthcare Pitch

Reform UK’s rise on NHS trust polling reflects their pitch for NHS reform including private sector involvement and a zero-tolerance approach to management inefficiency. While traditional Labour voters remain sceptical, Reform’s 18% represents genuine competition — particularly among older voters in the Midlands and North who have experienced the longest waits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which party do UK voters trust most on the NHS?

Labour leads on NHS trust at 31% in May 2026 polling, ahead of Reform UK (18%), Lib Dems (15%) and Conservatives (12%). However, 24% say they trust no party on the NHS, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the current state of the health service. See the Labour polling tracker for broader trends.

How many people are on NHS waiting lists?

An estimated 7.5 million patients are on NHS waiting lists as of May 2026. Labour promised to cut waiting lists as a central pledge, but progress has been slow due to staff shortages, post-pandemic demand backlogs and limited capital investment.

Do voters approve of the government’s NHS handling?

No. 62% of voters disapprove of how the government is handling the NHS, with only 19% approving. This is a significant drag on Labour’s overall approval ratings and is closely linked to the 78% of voters who say the NHS is “in crisis” or “struggling”.

What are Labour’s NHS waiting list targets?

Labour pledged to deliver 40,000 extra NHS appointments per week and cut waiting lists as a central manifesto commitment. By May 2026, waiting lists had fallen from 7.8 million to approximately 7.5 million patients — a reduction considered too slow to meet the government’s ambitions within this Parliament. Staff shortages, capital investment gaps and post-COVID demand backlogs continue to constrain progress, making NHS performance one of the most politically sensitive issues facing the Starmer government.

Which party do voters trust most to fix the NHS?

Labour retains the highest NHS trust at 31% in May 2026, ahead of Reform UK at 18%, Lib Dems at 15%, and Conservatives at 12%. But 24% say they trust no party on the NHS at all — the highest no-trust figure in modern NHS polling. The Lib Dems have made health services a central issue in their Blue Wall strategy, particularly around GP access and mental health services, and score highest on NHS trust among their own voters. Full issue trust comparison →

How does NHS waiting time performance vary across UK nations?

NHS England has the largest waiting lists in absolute terms but NHS Wales has the worst performance per capita, with a higher proportion of patients waiting over 52 weeks. NHS Scotland has shorter median waits overall but faces significant GP access difficulties in rural areas. NHS Northern Ireland has the worst performance on some elective surgery metrics. These divergences have become a major political talking point, with Labour, SNP and Conservatives all using cross-nation comparisons to argue their governance record is superior.

Related Trackers

Labour

Party Tracker

NHS trust leader at 31%

Reform UK

Party Tracker

Rising to 18% NHS trust

Issue

Cost of Living

Linked to NHS staff pay

Polls

Voting Intention

See overall party standings

Sources & Further Reading

NHS performance data and waiting list statistics are published by NHS England: Statistics. For the political polling context, see our Labour tracker and the voting intention tracker.