Centre for Health PolicyCHP Keynote panel discussion: The NHS at 75: Public attitudes and why they matter

The Centre for Health Policy hosted a public event to mark the occasion of the NHS’s 75^th anniversary.

At a time of immense pressure on services and widespread fears about the sustainability of the service, social surveys continue to suggest tremendous support among the UK population for the ‘founding principles’ of the healthcare system. Professor Sir John Curtice spoke first about public satisfaction levels with the NHS over the last forty years based on the British Social Attitudes Survey.

Leonora Merry, Director of Communications from the Nuffield Trust described the challenges of effectively communicating survey findings on the NHS and social care in the media. Finally, Centre for Health Policy co-director Dr Ellen Stewart offered a reappraisal of debates about the enduring public affection for the NHS, based on her new book How Britain Loves the NHS.