NHS Faces Record Low Public Satisfaction as Winter Pressures Mount

Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledges the NHS is 'broken but not beaten' while highlighting efforts to address long-standing challenges and immediate winter crises.

• A new poll shows public satisfaction with the NHS has dropped to 31%, the lowest level recorded since 1997, with dissatisfaction highest in Northern Ireland and Wales.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described the state of the NHS as a mix of 'pride and shame,' citing overstretched emergency departments and patients waiting on trolleys in hospital corridors for over 30 hours.
• Streeting emphasized the government's recent measures, including resolving doctors' strikes, expanding vaccination programs, and deploying innovative approaches to reduce unnecessary A&E visits.
• Emergency care delays remain a significant concern, with over 150,000 patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E last month, raising fears of increased excess deaths this winter.
• Experts warn that early spikes in flu cases, combined with holiday-related incidents, are intensifying pressure on NHS staff, with further challenges anticipated in the coming weeks.

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