Over 3 Million Brits Left Waiting as Public Trust in NHS Plummets to Record Low, Whilst Migrants Keep Arriving by the 100,000's+
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
A staggering three million British people on NHS England waiting lists have yet to receive any care following their GP referral, revealing what experts are calling an “invisible crisis” within the health service.
Recent research by Ipsos paints a worrying picture of public sentiment: three in four Britons fear being stuck on a hospital trolley or waiting for an ambulance that never arrives, as the NHS plummets in trust by the taxpayer . Concerns about overcrowded A&Es (77%) and difficulty accessing GP services (70%) further highlight the strain on the system.
One in three people admitted they are hesitant to seek emergency care, believing that A&E departments are already overwhelmed. Even more, 43% say they would rather take a taxi than risk waiting for a 999 ambulance.
Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, described the findings as “worrying and frightening in equal measure.” He added:
“Much as [the NHS] is appreciated, research like this shows that people are losing their trust and faith in the system to be able to look after them when they need it most. People [are] admitting that they would not seek emergency help because they are too afraid of ending up on a trolley in a corridor in an overcrowded A&E.”
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, emphasized the human cost of the crisis:
“These findings reveal a shocking level of public fear about accessing urgent and emergency care. Patients experiencing a health emergency should never have to think twice about calling an ambulance or going to A&E, yet many now feel they have no choice but to delay seeking help or attempt alternative travel options. This is not just a crisis of NHS capacity; it’s a crisis of public trust.”
The challenges extend beyond emergency care. The NHS has long struggled to meet waiting time targets across A&E, routine hospital treatment, and ambulance response. These issues were already prevalent prior to the uncontrolled migrant crises, but are now battling a failing public system the same as the public Border Force Immigration Service.
Mental health services remain stretched, and access to NHS dental care is severely limited.
The human toll of “corridor care” is evident in tragic cases. An inquest revealed that 91-year-old Dorothy Reid died after refusing to return to A&E following a previous experience of being left overnight on a chair with a broken back. Catherine Wood, the coroner for North East Kent, noted that Reid might have survived had she attended for treatment as recommended.
Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, highlighted a troubling trend:
“There is a growing concern among clinicians about people feeling sick at home but not coming to hospital as they are concerned about long waits to be seen, or possibly corridor care, and as a result coming to harm due to delayed – or even non-attendance – with urgent problems.”
Prof Nicola Ranger, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, noted widespread public frustration:
“Public anger is palpable about the NHS’s ability to provide speedy, high-quality care. Frustration with delays means nurses bear the brunt of it with verbal and even physical abuse. People are alarmed at the state of the NHS. Members of the public are worried about turning up at A&E when they may be most in need of care, genuinely frightened about the standard of care they might receive.”
Ipsos’s survey also found that 81% of respondents said the state of the NHS makes them sad, while 71% said it makes them angry. Less than half (47%) feel that the NHS provides good value for taxpayers. The most common associations with the NHS were “long waiting times” (57%), followed by “understaffed” (51%), “delays” (27%), and “high quality of care” (22%).
An NHS England spokesperson acknowledged the pressures:
“The service has been under significant pressure, particularly so over the last few months, with staff experiencing one of the more challenging migration periods on record. People who need care should always seek it, from their GP, the NHS 111 telephone service or by dialling 999 or attending A&E if it is a life-threatening emergency.”
The Department of Health and Social Care admitted the failings, stating:
“People are right to be angry. Patients are being let down and taxpayers’ money is being wasted. The NHS is broken but it’s not beaten, yet.”
This is a damning indictment of the UK's successive Governments whom have systematically failed the electorate at every turn. The politicians responsible are and have not been fit for purpose and a complete overhaul of the political system both at House of Parliament and House of Lords should be conducted soonest, not least as we are moving very fast into dangerous waters of uncontrolled migration, broken public services, high taxes, low income, huge hospital waiting lists, crumbling infrastructure, white British cultural erosion, and myopic foreign policies driving the cost of living up for the taxpayer, not least the billions spent and promised to the most corrupt country on the planet, Ukraine.
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