Low public trust found in health care system in England, Wales

Residents of England and Wales reported a relatively high level of distrust of their health care services in a survey of a random population sample.

M.W. Calnan and E. Sanford at the University of Bristol received a 48% response rate (1,187 responses) to their postal survey measuring general levels of trust and confidence in the health care system of the United Kingdom. The mean level of confidence in the overall system was 6 out of a potential score of 10. At least 356 (30%) of the respondents reported little or very little trust for 28 of 32 specific aspects of health care. In particular, residents had the highest level of distrust for how the health service was run and financed, specifically with waiting times and the implication of cost cutting for patients. The key aspects were patient-centered care and levels of professional expertise. Coverage by private health insurance also played a role in level of trust.

The authors said that policy makers concerned with addressing the erosion of public trust “need to target aspects associated with patient centered care and professional expertise.”

The study is published in Quality & Safety in Health Care.