Responding to the latest British Social Attitudes survey RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:

“A rise in public satisfaction with the NHS is testament to the hard work of nursing staff and they deserve their share of the credit. It’s now crucial ministers aren't complacent because improvements are still unequally shared across the system, with crucial services like A&E and general practice struggling more than others to meet demand. The collapse in confidence that care will improve in the coming years must be turned around.

“The worrying thing is that nursing staff share the public’s lack of confidence that things will get better. Across all services, the workforce is depleted due to a lack of investment, leading to delays in care, poor care or no care at all. This is no more stark than in buckling A&E departments where patients endure long, torturous waits and care in non-clinical spaces like corridors has become the norm.

“The priority for ministers must be giving the public and nursing staff hope that care will get better. The best way to do that is by investing in the workforce that delivers the vast majority of that care. Ministers have begun to understand the importance of prevention, community and social care services to keep people well closer to home but now we need the funding.

"The public shares the view that more investment is needed, it’s now for governments to deliver it. Failure to do so will leave tens of thousands of vacant nursing posts unfilled, staff burnt out and confidence among patients collapsing further.”

Ends

Notes to editors

Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2025: Results from the British Social Attitudes survey