Nearly half (45%) of Brits think that healthcare services in the UK are better than those in other developed countries, our survey has shown. The results come as the Coalition Government’s planned changes to the NHS remain under detailed media criticism.
- 45% believe that Britain has better quality healthcare than most developed countries
- 25% claim it is worse
- While 22% feel that British healthcare is on a par with most other developed countries
This may come as a surprise in light of the intense scrutiny placed on the NHS, with reported inefficiencies, waiting lists, superbugs, and proposed funding cuts just some of the stories in recent years. But it seems that a significant proportion of Brits still feel the country’s health services rank better than those in other developed nations.
Doing well
The survey also shows that the UK rates highly in the public’s perception when it comes to our human rights record and politicians’ corruption, in comparison to other developed nations.
- 50% feel that Britain’s human rights record is better than that of other developed countries, compared to 8% who feel it is worse, and 28% who would say it is about the same
- And despite the recent expenses scandals, politicians escaped the harshest judgement in our survey, with only 15% saying that British politicians are more corrupt than those of other developed nations
- 23% say that British politicians are more corrupt, while the majority (52%) say that they are probably no more or less corrupt than politicians of other developed states
'Just about OK’
Similarly, Brits feel that the UK fairly stacks up in comparison to other developed countries when it comes to attractiveness, crime levels, food and manners.
- 59% would say that Brits are about as attractive as people in other developed countries, with 18% thinking we’re less so (but with a paltry 11% claiming that Brits are better looking)
- 41% think our crime levels are about even with other developed nations, compared to 33% who would say our rates are higher, and 14% putting them lower
- Gastronomically, Brits think the UK compares well, with 44% saying that our fare is about the same quality as that of other developed countries, 24% saying it’s better, and 25% thinking it’s worse
- And when it comes to manners, an apparently very British attribute, Brits feel we are still just about competing with those of other nations: 45% would say British manners are the same as those of other nations, with 26% saying they’re worse and a similar 23% saying they’re better
Where are we not so good?
However, things aren’t all well; Brits still feel that the nation falls down in comparison to others on public transport, taxes, fitness levels, education, and the ability to ‘get things done’.
- Nearly two thirds (65%) say that Britain’s public transport is worse than that of most other developed countries, with 16% saying it was the same, and just 11% claiming it to be better
- 59% say they think Britain’s taxes are higher than in other developed countries, with 18% putting taxes at similar levels and only 8% thinking British taxes are lower
- 51% think Brits are less fit than their developed counterparts, versus 37% who would say we’re about as fit, and 4% who think we’re fitter
- 41% feel that Britain has worse schools than in most other developed countries, while 30% think they are similar in standard, and 19% would say they are better
- And when it comes to ‘getting things done’, 39% think it’s harder in Britain, compared to 32% saying it’s the same here as elsewhere, and 13% thinking it’s easier to get things done in the UK in comparison to other developed nations
