Patient satisfaction with mental and physical health services: Findings from a UK-wide online survey

Introduction - Despite extensive debate surrounding mental health services in the UK, there is little empirical evidence regarding the views of those who use them. We therefore used data collected as part of a wider survey to examine satisfaction amongst those seeking treatment from mental and physical health services. Methods – An online survey designed with input from people with experience of mental illness was used to measure satisfaction with NHS mental and physical health services at first contact and in the previous 12 months. Results – A total of 2187 people responded. During the 12 months prior to the survey, 526 respondents had sought mental health care and 1379 had sought physical health care. Participants were significantly more satisfied with their most recent contact with mental health services (48.1% very/satisfied) than with their first contact (38.2% very/satisfied). More than 1 in 10 respondents who sought mental health care (11.4%) stated that they received no treatment/support from the NHS, compared to approximately 1 in 20 respondents who sought physical health care (4.6%). Of those who received the mental health treatment they requested (n = 424), most were satisfied or very satisfied with their care (54.7%), although this was lower than the corresponding figure (77.9%) for satisfaction with physical health care received (n = 1190). Conclusion –There was evidence that mental health services are satisfactory for a slim majority of users, but people were generally more satisfied with NHS physical health care. This survey was conducted in the year prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Future research could examine what influences satisfaction with care and whether this picture has changed following the emergence of the pandemic and consequent impact on health service delivery and daily life.