Public want government to prioritise primary care over hospitals

A research project has found that the public wants the government to focus more on improving primary and community care than hospitals and is willing to pay more taxes to improve NHS services.  In a new report, researchers from the Health Foundation and Ipsos UK explored what the public thinks about the NHS in England and the critical decisions facing the next government. The research highlights the public’s appetite for a shift in how NHS resources are distributed. If the NHS budget is not increased, 60% of people polled in England think the government should prioritise the NHS budget on improving access to community-based services like general practice and dentistry, twice those who would prioritise access to hospitals (29%). Workshop participants supported a greater focus on primary and community care to reduce demand on hospitals, for example through earlier diagnosis and better management of conditions.