Patients would not feel comfortable attending A&E even if they required urgent care with three-out-of-10 uneasy about a hospital trip.
Some 61 per cent of adults said they would feel happy to attend a hospital appointment if their doctor asked them to, the Office for National Statistics reported.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they would feel apprehensive with this, while 29 per cent said they would feel nervous about going to hospital for emergency treatment.
Just over half (55 per cent) said they would feel relaxed about visiting the emergency department if advised. And 14 per cent said they would not feel comfortable seeing a healthcare professional in person.
Experts fear the knock-on effects of the pandemic have been lethal after routine care was disrupted, and amid concerns that patients were reluctant to seek treatment because of fears over the virus.
Research has suggested the UK could suffer up to 35,000 excess deaths within the next 12 months as a result of delays in cancer diagnosis and care.
And the Royal College of Physicians said that doctors are worried that their patients’ health may have worsened because of service disruptions.
The ONS analysed responses from 1,235 people aged 16 and over in Great Britain who were polled between July 29 and August 2 as part of its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.
Respondents felt happier about seeking medical advice remotely, it found, with 72 per cent comfortable to speak over the phone with a medical professional, while 66 per cent said they would be happy to attend an online appointment.
It also found that 41 per cent of adults said the Covid-19 outbreak was affecting their wellbeing.
Of these, 14 per cent, roughly one in seven, said they were worried about losing their job, with 10 per cent concerned about returning to work.
Over half of respondents (53 per cent) said they strongly supported localised lockdowns, which have started to emerge across the UK.
