As Boris Johnson settles in as the newly elected UK Prime Minister, the NHS will be one of the big policy areas he will be focussing on. Three in five (61%) people believe that increasing the number of NHS staff should be the number one priority regarding health and care for the government.
This is seen as a particularly important step for those aged 55 and over; around seven in ten (71%) in this age group feel that it should be the new government’s health and care priority compared with half (50%) of those aged 18 to 34.
People also want to see the new government improve access to GP appointments (34%). Around three in ten (31%) believe that Johnson should prioritise improving waiting times for A&E, and ensuring the NHS has the most up-to-date technology (29%). A quarter (25%) believe the new government needs to focus on ensuring social care and support for everyone who needs it and improving access to mental health services.
Opinions differ by age. Younger people tend to prioritise mental health services (29% of those aged 18-24 compared with only 17% of those 55 and over) and providing advice and services to help people live healthier lives (15% of those aged 18-24 compared with 6% of those 55 and over).
Meanwhile, older generations are more focused on social care priorities. A third (32%) believe ensuring suitable social care and support for everyone who needs it should be a key focus for the new government; only one in six (16%) of 18-34-year olds feel the same.
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