GP services have suffered the biggest slump in satisfaction amid a widespread drop in happiness with the NHS, it was reported today.

Researchers said the fall in satisfaction reflected public anxiety with NHS staffing and funding levels.

According to the analysis, satisfaction with GP services fell seven percentage points last year to 65%.

Overall public satisfaction with the NHS fell by six percentage points to 57%.

And reported dissatisfaction increased by seven percentage points to 29%.

The findings come from the British Social Attitudes Survey, analysed by the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund.

GP leaders said the findings – the lowest for general practice since 1983 – were “extremely distressing.”

Professor John Appleby, from the Nuffield Trust, said: “Despite mounting pressure on the NHS, satisfaction in the health service has remained high in recent years, with satisfaction staying above 60% for most of this decade.

In the last year, however, the tide has started to turn. The drop in satisfaction and rise in dissatisfaction this year suggest that the public are worried about the NHS.

“We know that public dissatisfaction is increasingly driven by concerns over funding and staffing levels and they’re right to be anxious. As the NHS celebrates its 70th year, the government needs to put the NHS on a sustainable financial footing so it can continue to provide the same high quality, free at the point of use care that it is valued for by the general public.”

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: “This is extremely distressing news for hard-pressed GPs and their teams who are working flat-out to do the very best they can for their patients in increasingly difficult circumstances.

“But while we are very disappointed in these figures, they are hardly surprising as what we are seeing now is symptomatic of the inevitable effects of a decade of underinvestment in our family doctor service – and just not having enough GPs in the system to meet demand.

“Traditionally, patients report very high levels of satisfaction and trust in their GPs and we don’t believe that these figures reflect the high standard of care most patients are receiving in general practice. But we can understand – and we share – their frustration as they face longer and longer waiting times for GP appointments.”

British Medical Association chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “It is unsurprising that public satisfaction with the NHS has dropped. The reality for patients and staff is that we now have a consistently overstretched health service, running at capacity and in a state of crisis year – round. Doctors have real concerns about the quality and timeliness of care the NHS can deliver when services are under such pressure.

“It is clear from this report that patients value the NHS because of the quality of care, the range of treatment options available, and the fact that it is free at the point of use.

“General practice, in particular, is facing an unprecedented crisis. GPs are carrying out 40 million more consultations than a decade ago and are struggling from a combination of rising demand, limited resources and a recruitment crisis.

“Patients are unfairly bearing the brunt of such significant shortfalls with longer waiting times for appointments.”