NHS Wales’ Time to Talk survey for November 2024 has found that 58% of people in Wales say they are in good or very good health.
The survey takes place every three months, and asks a national panel of Welsh residents about their health to inform policy and practice. The panel is comprised of people over 16 years old, with a variety of representatives according to age, deprivation, ethnicity and health board area, established by Public Health Wales to enable regular public engagement to inform public health policy and practice.
HEALTH IMPACTS
The panel were asked whether 17 items were having a positive, negative or no impact on their health. The top three positive aspects were:
- Access to nature and outdoor space (74%)
- How much physical activity they do (63%)
- The home they live in (58%)
The top three negative impacts were:
- Access to health care services (42%)
- Their financial position (34%)
- Social media (34%)
When asked which service they would first contact if they had a health condition and were unsure which service they needed, 42% of people said they would contact their GP practice. 28% would look on the NHS 111 Wales website.
OTHER FINDINGS
In other survey findings:
- 53% of the panel said their physical health had worsened a little or worsened a lot in the last three years.
- 34% of the panel said their mental health had worsened a little or worsened a lot in the last three years.
- 51% of the panel said looking after their health had been a high priority in the last three years.
- Of the 19% who had experience (personally or as a witness) of a stop and search, 33% said they thought it would be helpful for people to receive mental health support after they have been stopped and searched.
- 54% of people said they had heard of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- 32% said they had heard of the RSV vaccine.
The full report, with more detailed analysis, is available on the NHS Wales website.