Health Secretary Wes Streeting has threatened to break up failing NHS trusts in response to the latest health service satisfaction survey.
A review of opinions carried out by the King’s Fund found that in 2025, 26% of British adults were satisfied with how the NHS runs – up from 19% in 2024, while dissatisfaction fell from 59% to 51%, the greatest decrease in more than a quarter of a century.
But Mr Streeting warned that persistently failing trusts might be split up and have their services taken over by better functioning neighbours as part of a plan to improve the situation further.
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Speaking to Mornings with Ridge and Frost, the health secretary he was confident that the “NHS is better today than it was when I came into office”.
But he added that there was still more to do, as “for all of the improvement we’re seeing in the NHS, there are still massive challenges”.
Sophy Ridge pointed out that 13% of people think the NHS spends money efficiently, 22% are satisfied with A&E and 14% are satisfied with social care.
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Mr Streeting said he is “definitely not” taking a victory lap.
“And the way I describe it is the NHS is on the road to recovery,” the health secretary said.
“There’s a long road ahead and my foot’s down on the accelerator, I’m not giving up until the job is done and completed.”
Breaking up trusts
Asked about failing trusts, Mr Streeting laid out how his department would try to get improvements.
This would include sending in “NHS veterans” who have turned around other failing trusts, and also “in some cases” getting rid of leadership.
“We might even consider breaking some of those trusts up and giving their services to nearby more successful trusts,” he continued.
This rescue plan will be targeted at five trusts that have “deep-rooted challenges”: North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, and East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust.
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Mr Streeting will give a speech later on Wednesday, where he will say some over-performing trusts are masking the failures of others.
The analysis of the latest satisfaction figures shows that younger people tend to be less satisfied with the NHS than their elders.
Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters have an above average approval rate; compared to Reform, Green Party and those who don’t support a party, who have they have a below average view of the health service.
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Just 16% of those polled in 2025 think the NHS will get better in the next five years, while 53% think it will get worse and 29% think it will stay the same.
The research reveals similar sentiment over social care which is seen as improving, but still poor.
Some 14% were satisfied with social care in 2025, while 49% were dissatisfied – down from 53% the year before.
