The right wants to destroy our fragile faith in the NHS – don’t let that happen | Polly Toynbee

<p>The service is a symbol of our shared values as a nation. No wonder divisive forces in politics and the press are working to undermine it</p><p>Public satisfaction with the NHS is at its lowest ever level, according to the most recent <a href="https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/reports/public-satisfaction-nhs-social-care-in-2024-bsa">British Social Attitudes</a> survey: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/02/patient-satisfaction-with-nhs-has-hit-record-low-of-21-survey-finds">just 21%</a> of patients are quite or very satisfied with the state it is in. Deep analysis of the feedback makes for grim reading. Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, now warns: “We have damaged our relationship with the population and it’s their service. We only exist at their will.” Public satisfaction is one of the most important of all targets, he said, along with <a href="https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/static/c1a573e95b1a49428676ef4b24f5efe7/National-Results-Briefing-2024.pdf">the NHS staff survey</a>, which shows that only 64% would recommend their service to a family member.</p><p>He was speaking at the King’s Fund annual conference this week, where graphs showing public attitudes cast waves of gloom. Access to GPs, hospital appointments and A&amp;E were top public concerns; social care has only 13% approval; and the young are more dissatisfied than the old. On quality, the public is a little more forgiving: 51% were pleased with the quality of NHS care. But people are perverse. Nearly three-quarters think the NHS doesn’t get enough money and it needs more staff – yet people are evenly split on whether to pay more tax to fund the NHS, or stay as we are. People use an easy excuse for not paying more for public services: 51% claim the NHS doesn’t spend its money well. One incident, one pointless letter sends a message of inefficiency.</p&g