The trust of citizens and doctors in the country’s health system is collapsing

Common is growing dissatisfaction with the NHS and the country’s private health system, as nearly one in two citizens and doctors rate health services negatively, according to a GPO survey.

Compared to the findings of a related survey last year, the dissatisfaction rates are significantly increased, while citizens’ satisfaction with the NHS doctors remains stable which exceeds 90%. However, the citizens have a negative image of the organization of the health structures and more than half are not satisfied with the benefits in the public health system.

In the survey – carried out last month on behalf of the Panhellenic Medical Association (PIS), by the GPO polling company – 1,108 men and women over the age of 17 who live in all the geographical regions of the country, as well as 720 doctors of various specialties, participated that operate nationwide.

In particular, the 45.1% of respondents from the general public is not satisfied with the health services neither in the public nor in the private health system – in 2023 the corresponding percentage was 31.2%. 28.7% of citizens say they are satisfied. Respectively, 48.3% of doctors evaluate the health system negatively in our country (public and private), while the corresponding percentage in 2023 was 22.9%. Only 17.4% evaluate it positively.

They prefer private practices, while they fully trust the doctors of the National Health Service

The respondents fully trust the doctors of the National Health Service and in comparison at a percentage of 91.1%, however this is not enough for the general opinion they have about the public health system since from the general public 56.9% are not satisfied with the services in SSY, against 34.7% last year.

75.4% say they are dissatisfied with the organization of the Health structures, while 65.2% choose to visit private clinics and not hospitals.

Changes in health legislation are viewed positively by doctors, 27.7% this year, compared to 37.7% last year. On the other hand, 50.4% are treated negatively this year, compared to 34.9% last year.

Citizens are in favor of the public nature of hospitals

Regarding issues of the public health system, 78.5% of the public and 90% of doctors are in favor of maintaining their public character and not turning hospitals into NHRIs. Also:

• In favor of increasing the salaries of NHS doctors at the levels of the average salaries received by doctors in the EU is placed the 82.8% of citizens and 91.6% of doctors.
• 97.3% of citizens and 96.4% of doctors are in favor of establishing incentives for the staffing of barren and island regions.
• 44.6% of the citizens are in favor of maintaining a private practice for ESY doctors.

Satisfaction for the personal physician

This is the sector that shows increased rates of citizen satisfaction, as 55% declare themselves satisfied with the institution, while only 14.1% declare themselves dissatisfied.

Registration with the personal physician shows an increasing trend. 73.5% of citizens have registered with a personal doctor and 9.8% of the unregistered intend to do so. The highest percentages occur in the over 55 age group.

43.1% received an sms for mammography and did it and 26% received an sms but did not use it, the main reason being negligence.

Regarding the PES, 32.4% of citizens have a positive view of the activities of the PES, 27.1% are neutral and 14.6% have a negative view. 50.4% of doctors have a positive opinion of the Panhellenic Medical Association and 16.9% have a negative opinion, while 68% positively evaluate their service from the services of the PIS.

“For the first time, we have a positive response to the personal doctor and we can expect the establishment of Primary Health Care in a period of accumulated problems from decades, which require increased funding”, commented the president of PIS Dr. Athanasios Hexadaktylos.

He placed particular emphasis on the finding of breast cancer screening, appealing to all women receiving SMS for mammography not to neglect it. “For every 8 mammograms that are not done there is one undiagnosed breast cancer,” he said.

For his part, Dimitris Varnavas -gc PIS-, commented that the public health system is developing into a “big patient”, as it seems to be becoming “repulsive” for young people and “exhausting” for the existing staff who reach “the limits of the working burnout”. He even announced that the PIS is preparing an appeal to the European institutions for the circumvention of working time.

“Staffing, salary increase and incentives”, these are the three measures that must be taken at the same time as Mr. Varnavas said to fix the health system.

With information from APE