More than nine out of 10 people in Wales are satisfied with the care they received from their GPs and in hospital, a major survey reveals.
However, many people said they found it hard to access a GP in the first place and overall the service in Wales only received an average mark of six out of 10.
The Labour-led Welsh government argued the figures showed that people who used the NHS in Wales had confidence in the service, which comes under constant attack from political opponents on both sides of the border, but accepted improvements were needed to make it easier to see a GP.
Its opponents will seize on the finding that the marks given to the service as a whole have fallen. Asked to rate the overall state of the health service in Wales out of 10 (10 being extremely good) regardless of whether they had used it, the average score was 6.2, slightly down from last year’s rating of 6.4. People aged 45-65 gave the worst average score – 5.8. The over-75s’ score was 7.1.
The Welsh government’s health and social services minister, Mark Drakeford, insisted the survey was positive. He said: “These results show the people of Wales have confidence in our NHS, and they value the services it provides.
“The Welsh NHS does a fantastic job, day in and day out. We are providing a service on an industrial scale to a population of 3 million people.
“There will be some occasions when people don’t get the high standard of service we would expect them to get. But the typical experience of someone using the Welsh NHS results in extremely high levels of satisfaction with the care provided by GPs and in hospitals.
“However, these results also tell us that some people are still finding it difficult to book an appointment with a GP. That’s why we made a commitment in our programme for government to improve access to GP services for working people and have announced new investments in primary care.
“The national survey shows once again how people across Wales value and respect the approach we have taken towards the NHS, which does a remarkable job in providing excellent standards of care, free at the point of use for all in Wales.”
According to the national survey for Wales: 77% of people questioned had seen a GP about their own health in the previous 12 months. Of these, 92% were satisfied (68% very satisfied and 24% fairly satisfied) with the care they received.
The survey found 41% of the people questioned had attended a hospital appointment in the last 12 months. Of these, 91% were satisfied (70% very satisfied and 21% fairly satisfied) with the care they received, and 38% of people found it difficult to make a convenient GP appointment.
People living in urban areas were more likely to find it difficult to make a convenient GP appointment than people in rural areas (40%). People in employment were slightly more likely to find it difficult to make a convenient GP appointment, 39% compared with 36% of people not in employment.
Cwm Taf University health board, which covers Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf in south Wales, had the highest proportion of people who found it difficult to make a convenient GP appointment (43%).
The national survey for Wales is a face-to-face survey of people across Wales. Each year 14,500 people aged 16 and over are asked for their opinions on a wide range of issues affecting them and their local area.
