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The British public is the unhappiest it has ever been with the NHS, but still supports it in principle, a new survey has found.

The overall satisfaction with the NHS now stands at 29% – a fall of seven percentage points and the fourth-largest drop ever recorded in a single year. In 2010, satisfaction with the NHS was 71%.

The British Social Attitudes survey has tracked public opinion consistently since 1983.

Some 51% of people are unhappy with the healthcare service, a rise of 10 percentage points in a single year, and the highest levels of dissatisfaction since the survey began.

The 40th annual survey took place in September and October last year and asked 3,362 people from England, Wales and Scotland their opinions on health and social care.

The findings paint a worrying picture of how people perceive the NHS.

Over two-thirds of respondents (69%) chose long waiting times for GP and hospital appointments as one of the top reasons for dissatisfaction.

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Accident and emergency departments have seen a sharp increase in the percentage of dissatisfied respondents, with a record 40% saying they are unhappy, according to analysis by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund.

General practice (GPs), dentistry and inpatient hospital services were among the other areas reaching record levels of dissatisfaction, with the findings consistent across all ages, income groups, genders and political persuasions.

Of those who were satisfied with the NHS, the top reason was because NHS care is free at the point of use (74%), followed by the quality of NHS care (55%) and that it has a good range of services and treatments available (49%).

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the survey results should be a “red flag to the government”.

The results “should not be seen as a judgement of the efforts of frontline staff to recover services in the wake of the pandemic but rather, a sign that the NHS is not being given what it needs to fully deliver for its local communities”.

“With there being around 124,000 reported vacancies across the NHS in England and a maintenance backlog stretching over £10bn this is hardly surprising,” he added.

Almost 80% of NHS staff consider quitting

Unhappiness within the NHS is not restricted to members of the public, with a separate survey finding 75.5% of workers are considering leaving the service altogether.

The survey of 2,500 NHS employees by Organise found more than half are taking days off due to stress, anxiety or burnout.

The majority also said patients are experiencing medication errors, delays in procedures and compromised quality of care as a result.

It comes as thousands of NHS staff are striking with demands for better pay and improved working conditions.

Anabela De Barros, a recovery nurse working in London, told Sky News the pandemic left many NHS staff deeply traumatised.

“I have never seen so many dead patients in my life,” she said, speaking about her work during COVID.

“And it was nice that everyone was clapping for us. But I know nurses that are now going to food banks, so it’s not enough.”

Striking NHS junior doctors on the picket line outside Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham as the British Medical Association is holding a 72-hour walkout in a dispute over pay. Picture date: Wednesday March 15, 2023.
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Striking NHS junior doctors on the picket line

Ms De Barros has just voted to reject the latest pay deal offered to nurses.

“We’ve had Brexit, COVID and now the war in Ukraine has made the cost of living so high. We are just tired. We are exhausted. And it doesn’t seem like it is going to get better any time soon.”

Nat Whalley, CEO and co-founder of Organise – a worker-led network for fixing employment – called it a “ticking time bomb at the heart of our healthcare system”.

“We don’t need empty promises; we need tangible investments in the NHS that allow workers to thrive in their roles, without suffering from stress, anxiety, and burnout,” said Ms Whalley.

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Why are staff quitting the NHS?

Despite being unhappy, Brits still support the NHS

Despite the high levels of dissatisfaction with how services are operating, the public continues to show strong support for the principles underpinning the NHS.

Nine in 10 people backed the idea that the NHS should be free of charge when people need it.

But more than eight in 10 believe there is a major or severe funding problem for the service.

While taxation remains the favoured source of funding, more people believe the service should live within its budget.

Jessica Morris, report author and fellow at the Nuffield Trust, said: “It is clear that the level of unhappiness amongst the British public over the way the NHS is running is going to take many years to recover.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government was “hugely grateful” to NHS and social care staff for their working during the pandemic and dealing with the subsequent backlog.

“Cutting waiting lists is one of the prime minister’s five priorities and so far, we have virtually eliminated waits of over two years for treatment and latest figures show the number of patients waiting over 18 months has reduced by 80% from the peak,” they added.

A spokesperson for NHS England said: “The NHS is taking significant steps to further improve patient experience, including our recently-launched blueprint to recover urgent and emergency care alongside continuing to slash the long waits for elective treatment which inevitably built up during the pandemic, and we are working on new plans to boost primary care for patients as well as publishing a long-term workforce strategy shortly.”

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They also highlighted the government’s £14.1bn investment in health and social care over the next two years.

Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “Support for the values that the NHS was built upon are unshakable. It will fall to the next Labour government to reform and rebuild the NHS, so it once again delivers quality care for patients, free at the point of use.”

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Europe must ‘ramp up’ pressure on Russia, says No 10 after Coalition of the Willing meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

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Europe must 'ramp up' pressure on Russia, says No 10 after Coalition of the Willing meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Europe must “ramp up” pressure on Russia “to bring an end to this barbaric war”, a Downing Street spokesperson said after Sir Keir Starmer chaired a meeting with the Coalition of the Willing.

Earlier, the prime minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street for crisis talks on the future of Ukraine.

After the Downing Street meeting, a spokesperson said Sir Keir “convened a call with other European allies alongside President Zelenskyy”.

“The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war.”

Ukraine latest: ‘Critical stage’ in push for peace

Friedrich Merz, Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street. Pic: Reuters
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Friedrich Merz, Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street. Pic: Reuters

During the earlier meeting, the Downing Street spokesperson said that the leaders “discussed the importance of the US-led peace talks for European security and supported the progress made”.

All four “underscored the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which includes robust security guarantees,” the spokesperson added.

“The leaders agreed that, while diplomatic efforts continue, Europe must stand with Ukraine, strengthening its ability to defend against relentless attacks that have left thousands without heat or light,” they said.

“They also discussed positive progress made to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.”

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Mr Zelenskyy arrives at Downing Street

After arriving in the UK, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that “we are joining our efforts to end this war with a decent peace for Ukraine” and that “security must be guaranteed”.

He later said: “We can’t manage without Americans, we can’t manage without Europe and that is why we need to make some important decisions.”

The discussions come as US President Donald Trump accused Mr Zelenskyy of having failed to read the latest peace plan.

He said he was “a little disappointed” in the Ukrainian leader, while insisting Russia’s Vladimir Putin was “fine with it”.

Mr Trump’s eldest son had earlier told Sky’s lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim in an interview that his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process.

When asked directly if he believed the US president would walk away from Ukraine, he answered: “I think he may, what’s good about my father and what’s unique about my father is you don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s unpredictable.”

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Sir Keir had earlier insisted any ceasefire must be “just” and “lasting”, adding: “We are at a critical stage in the push for peace.

“The principles remain the same. We stand with Ukraine, and if there is to be a ceasefire, it needs to be a just and lasting ceasefire.”

Mr Macron had insisted Ukraine’s allies have “a lot of cards” – but the main issue was to “finalise these peace negotiations” and find the “best possible conditions for Ukraine, for the Europeans, and for collective security”.

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Why the meeting in London is important

Moments after arriving at Downing Street, Mr Merz said he was “sceptical about some of the details in documents coming from the US” but that was one of the reasons for Monday’s talks.

The four European leaders emerged from Downing Street at around 2.20pm for a group photo – but declined to answer any questions from the media.

Sir Keir and Mr Zelenskyy then went back inside the prime minister’s residence for further talks while Mr Macron and Mr Merz departed.

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The London meeting comes after Mr Zelenskyy’s officials concluded three days of talks with US diplomats.

Over the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed “next steps” with Mr Trump’s advisers and was “determined to keep working in good faith”.

According to Vatican sources, the Ukrainian president will next meet with Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence outside of Rome, on Tuesday morning.

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Arne Slot has ‘no clue’ whether Mohamed Salah has played last game for Liverpool

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Arne Slot has 'no clue' whether Mohamed Salah has played last game for Liverpool

Arne Slot has said he has “no clue” whether Mohamed Salah has played his last game for Liverpool.

The 33-year-old forward told journalists after Saturday’s 3-3 Premier League draw at Leeds – his third game not starting for Liverpool this season – that he has been “thrown under the bus” by the club, and his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down.

Since then, Salah has been left out of the Champions League squad to face Inter Milan on Tuesday. He will not face any disciplinary action over his comments.

When asked at a press conference on Monday whether Salah has played his last game for the club, Slot said: “I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment in time.”

Slot did add that “I’m a firm believer there’s always a possibility to return for a player”, but told reporters: “It was a surprise to me when I heard he gave the comments he gave.”

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Salah trains despite Slot row

The Liverpool boss was asked whether Salah could come back into contention for Saturday’s Premier League game with Brighton at Anfield and the Dutchman says that is a decision which would be taken after the Inter game on Tuesday night.

Slot also said that “I would have to find out why he said what he said” when asked whether the row could have been avoided.

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“I have to guess a little bit. Is it because he doesn’t play? Is it about me not playing him? What could I do differently? Playing him. Maybe that is not the reason he thinks and feels this way.

“He has the right to feel what he feels but he doesn’t have the right to share it with the media. He does, but then it is up to us to react on it.”

Slot became the club’s head coach last year and won the Premier League title in his first season in charge, while Salah joined Liverpool in June 2017 and has been one of the Premier League’s best players.

The forward is due to travel to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Egypt on 15 December and has been linked with a January move to the Saudi Pro League.

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Storm Bram: ‘Danger to life’ warning as strong winds, heavy rain and flooding forecast for parts of UK and Ireland

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Storm Bram: 'Danger to life' warning as strong winds, heavy rain and flooding forecast for parts of UK and Ireland

Heavy rain and flooding, bringing possible “danger to life,” have been forecast for parts of Wales and England on Tuesday as Storm Bram hits the UK.

Amber warnings have been issued by the Met Office for large areas of South Wales and Cornwall from midnight to 10am on Tuesday.

Heavy rain will build from Monday evening, continuing through the night and into Tuesday morning, with between 50mm (two inches) and 75mm (three inches) falling over around nine hours.

Check the forecast for your area

As much as 100mm (four inches) may fall in a few exposed locations, forecasters said.

Deep or fast-flowing floodwaters are possible, causing damage to buildings and flooding homes and businesses, with roads cut off and travel disrupted.

Parts of northwest Scotland were already under an amber warning on Tuesday for “very strong” winds reaching as high as 90mph (145kmh) from 4pm until the end of the day.

Flying debris “could result in a danger to life” – and there could be damage to buildings and homes along with the risk of roofs being “blown off” due to the “very strong and disruptive winds”, the Met Office warned.

Forecasters added there was the potential for large waves and beach material “being thrown” across sea fronts, roads and properties.

Storm Bram, named by the Irish weather service Met Eireann, could bring more than half a month’s rainfall to some parts of the UK in just a 24-hour period, the agency said.

Yellow warnings for rain have also been issued for most of Wales, the South West and the central belt of Scotland, the Met Office said.

Yellow and orange warnings are in place across Ireland on Monday and Tuesday, with “very strong to gale force” winds forecast on Tuesday.

Yellow and amber weather warnings for Tuesday. Pic: Met Office
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Yellow and amber weather warnings for Tuesday. Pic: Met Office

The Met Office said strong winds forecast from Monday evening through until Wednesday could cause disruption, with gusts of 50-60mph (80-97kmh) predicted widely and 70-80mph (113-129kmh) in some places.

A yellow weather warning for rain comes into force from 6pm on Monday, and will be in place until 2pm on Tuesday, covering parts of southwest England and Wales, and stretching to parts of Herefordshire and Hampshire.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for high winds from Dorset to Cornwall and up to North Wales, in place from 10pm on Monday until 4pm on Tuesday.

It said transport networks could face disruption, with delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges, and coastal roads and seafronts affected by spray and large waves. Power outages are also possible.

Strong winds and rain can also cause delays to air and ferry transport, alongside road and train journeys.

From 6pm on Monday, up to 40mm of rain could fall in some areas, with 60-80mm of rain over Dartmoor and high ground in South Wales, which would amount to more than half the average monthly rainfall in December.

The predicted rainfall across southwest England and South Wales is expected to hit already saturated ground and could lead to difficult travel conditions.

There are also further yellow warnings for wind and rain on Tuesday across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and northern England.

Yellow warnings for wind have been issued for Scotland and parts of northern England on Wednesday.

Met Office chief forecaster Dan Suri said the storm “will bring a very wet and windy spell of weather, with very strong winds and further heavy rain which falling over saturated ground, could cause flooding impacts”.

He said gusts of “up to 90mph could be recorded” within the amber wind warning over northwest Scotland, while “gusts of 50-60 mph, and perhaps 70mph in a few spots, are expected across Wales, southwest England and Northern Ireland”.

The Met Office said it is possible 100mm [of rain will fall] over higher ground in the south of Wales and parts of Devon.

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Sky News meteorologist Dr Christopher England warned many areas could face disruption from “damaging gusts”.

“There could also be ferry disruption and that even outside the warning areas, potentially damaging gusts of over 50mph are possible,” he said.

“It only takes one tree falling in the wrong place at the wrong time to have a significant impact.”

The Met Office said the rest of the month remained unsettled, with further periods of low pressure predicted.

It said it is too early to provide an accurate forecast for the Christmas period.

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