Just over half of people in Britain describe the quality of UK healthcare as ‘good’, according to latest research
October 2025 - Health
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Just over half of people in Britain describe the quality of UK healthcare as ‘good’, according to latest research: A recent study has revealed that only 54% of UK adults consider the quality of healthcare they and their families receive to be 'good' or 'very good.' This marks a significant decline of 19pp since 2018 and also represents the largest decrease in satisfaction amongst the other countries surveyed for the study.
The research, conducted by Ipsos, interviewed a total of 23,712 adults aged 18 to 74 across 30 countries (including a nationally representative sample of approximately 1000 adults in the UK) between July 25 and August 8, 2025. The aim was to gain a global perspective on citizens' perceptions of the quality of healthcare they receive and the major health problems facing their countries today.
The survey shows that in 2018, nearly three-quarters (73%) of UK citizens rated the quality of health care they received as good, placing the UK at the top of the global rankings and 28 percentage points above the global average. Malaysia (72%) and Australia (71%) rounded out the top three. However, with a current satisfaction score of 54%, the UK now ranks ninth, while Malaysia moves to first place with a score of 67%, followed by the Netherlands at 64% and Singapore at 61%.
The report emphasises that half (50%) of UK respondents consider mental health to be the most significant health issue facing the population. This is followed by cancer (45%) and obesity at 34%. Additionally, a similar proportion (52%) of UK citizens views access to treatment and long waiting times as the biggest challenge confronting the NHS.
It should also be stressed that while the UK has seen the largest decline in public perceptions of healthcare quality, other countries have also experienced notable decreases since 2018, including Germany and Canada (-14pp), Spain (-13 pp) and France (-11 pp). On a more positive note, over a fifth (22%) of Britons expect the quality of healthcare to improve, which is a slight decrease from 26% in 2024 but significantly better than the 8% recorded in 2018.
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