Website of the Department of Health

Reduced waiting times

Staff: 'The NHS culture of waiting has to end.'

Community Nurse: 'Patients get ill 24 hours a day. Develop access when they need it.'

Staff: 'Sometimes patients have to wait so long we have to let them go and then send their drugs after them by taxi.'

A1.2 People think the NHS is too slow. Delay, cancellation and unreliability are commonplace in every part of the system. Seven out of ten people think waiting lists and waiting times for operations are too long. More than six in ten think patients have to wait too long to be seen in casualty. Trolley waits are regarded as unacceptable. Almost a third of patients would like to see GPs extend their opening hours in the evenings and about a quarter want them to open on Saturdays.

New ways of working

Public: 'Cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness - employ more cleaners in hospital'

Staff: 'Develop a modern matron - someone to get things done, someone patient focused.'

A1.3 Patients want to see different ways of working in the NHS. The consultation with the public supported the return of 'Matron' - with authority on the ward, in charge of getting the basics right, without getting bogged down in bureaucracy.

A1.4 Members of the public told us they wanted to see a reduction in the amount of administration and bureaucracy in the service, with more resources to be invested in frontline services and better IT systems instead. Patients want to see all NHS staff used more effectively, with an expanded role for GPs and pharmacists.

Care centred on patients

Staff: 'We must improve peoples' experience of the NHS. Often this means little things to improve dignity, comfort and convenience.'

A1.5 People are concerned that too much of what the NHS does is dictated by the needs of the system rather than the needs of the patient. The NHS has a reputation for unreliable timekeeping so when people get an appointment they are sceptical about whether it will be cancelled. About half of people think cancellation rates for operations need to be improved. The inability of the NHS to work properly with social services is a real cause of concern for elderly patients.

Quality of care

A1.6 While people continue to show real faith in the integrity and professionalism of NHS staff, they see problems in some staff attitudes. Patients feel talked at too much and listened to not enough. More than 10% of people are dissatisfied with their experiences as inpatients. This rises to almost 20% in some parts of the country. People want to see better and more consistent services for treating cancer and heart disease. Forty per cent of people think cancer services need to be improved significantly.

Better facilities

A1.7 People want to see the basics put right. Half of people think the condition of hospital buildings needs to be improved. Few people are complimentary about hospital food. One survey found almost a third of patients needed help eating meals but did not always get it. Dirty hospitals are a big concern. Patients are concerned at mixed sex wards.

Better local services

A1.8 Members of the public said that they wanted to see better transport and access to services, better community care, and more joined up services. They also said that they wanted more community and cottage hospitals.

Better treatment for NHS staff

Staff: Clinical Nurse Specialist: 'My difficulties rest with the limited clerical support given to me, resulting in my time being used to stand over a photocopier, check on clinic changes, order stationery etc.'

Nurse: 'We want to treat our patients better. We want to be treated better too.'

A1.9 People trust, value and admire the dedication, expertise and compassion of staff who work day-in and day-out for patients. Ninety per cent of the public are satisfied with the way doctors do their jobs, 96% are satisfied with the way nurses do their jobs. They are the most trusted professions in the country. The public wants to see better rewards for staff for the hard work they put in on behalf of patients.

A national service

Member of the public interviewed by the Office for Public Management: 'Keep the NHS, make it a truly national service with high quality treatment wherever you are - people want to be confident that the NHS will provide excellent treatment and care which is consistent across the country.'

A1.10 There is major public concern about variations in services. There is a frustration that one part of the country can offer an excellent service, while a neighbouring area struggles to meet basic needs. People want the NHS to be a truly national service, providing high quality treatment wherever they live.

More prevention

Staff: 'We still look after our cars better than we look after our health.'

A1.11 There is an enormous public appetite for information on health. People want to be healthy, but do not see the NHS providing much support for doing so. Sixty five per cent of the public think the NHS should spend more time and money on maintaining people in good health by better provision of services and information.