Infections are public's biggest NHS fear

Fear of contracting an infection would be the public's number one worry if they had to go to hospital for treatment, reveals a major opinion poll commissioned by BBC News to mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of the NHS.

But 82% say they feel proud of the NHS, and a narrow majority (51%) still consider the UK health service the envy of the world.

ICM Research questioned adults across the UK extensively about their attitudes to the health service.

Fear of contracting an infection was cited by 40% of respondents as their single biggest worry if told they needed to go to hospital for in-patient treatment.

This is far above having to wait a long time for treatment (chosen by 25% as their single biggest worry), or having to share mixed sex accommodation (chosen by only 10% overall – with significantly more people aged 65+ [22%] picking this as their single biggest concern).

However, only 8% said their biggest fear would be receiving poor quality clinical care.

In a question about confidence in various aspects of the health service, only 33% of respondents were confident that the NHS would protect them from contracting an infection in hospital.

That compares with 94% who were confident that the service would provide good care in an emergency such as a car crash, and 86% who were confident that the NHS would deliver a baby safely.

Almost a third (31%) of those questioned said they would consider not having an operation they needed because of the risk of getting an infection.

But when looking at the NHS overall, the poll still reveals high levels of confidence in the Health Service as it celebrates its 60th birthday: 82% say they feel 'very proud' or 'fairly proud' of the NHS, with only 18% saying they are 'not proud' of the NHS ('not at all proud' 5%; 'not very proud' 13%).

More people aged 65+ (88%) are 'very' or 'fairly' proud of the Health Service than those aged 18-24 (76%).

Just over half of respondents (51%) agree that the NHS is the envy of the world, compared with 46% who disagree.

Interestingly, people living in the North of England and Scotland are more likely to believe that the NHS is the envy of the world compared with people in the South East.

Those questioned were supportive of Government intervention to promote better public health.

69% say they 'want the Government to take more responsibility' for getting people to eat more healthily; 65% want the Government to take more responsibility for getting people to lose weight; 69% want them to take more responsibility for getting people to cut down on drinking.

A majority of those questioned (85%) agreed that counselling for depression and anxiety should be free on the NHS.

The poll also repeated some questions asked at around the time of the founding of the NHS to see whether there were significant differences in attitudes now and then.

In a question echoing the current debate on polyclinics, Gallop asked people in 1944 'whether you would approve or disapprove of health centres, where you might get more treatments than you could at your doctor's surgery, but which might not be so near your home?'

In 1944, 69% approved of these future polyclinic-like structures – now the figure is 63%.

Young people were more likely in our 2008 poll to approve of health centres compared with older people (18-24 year olds: 81%; 25-34 year olds: 77%; 65+: 41%; 55-64 year olds: 56%).

In 1951, 88% said they had never 'seriously tried to lose weight' – that figure had dropped to 57% in 2008. The 12% who said they had seriously tried to lose weight in 1951 had risen to 43% by 2008.

Gallop also asked people in 1951, 'would you like to lose weight, put on weight, or stay as you are?'

Only 25% responded then that they wanted to lose weight, with 55% saying that they wanted to stay the same, and (only six years after the end of the WWII) 15% saying they wanted to put on weight.

In our poll in 2008, the number of those wanting to put on weight had dropped to a tiny 3%, while almost half (43%) now want to lose weight.

Further results from the poll, relating to devolution in the Health Service, will be released later in the week.