Study title

The project consists of discursive, semi-structures interviews with 48 members of the public drawn from a range of population groups, to investigate (1)the basis of trust in the NHS as a public service, (2) the role of various rational and non-rational factors in contributing to it, (3)perceptions of current reforms and of their impact on services, and (4)the relation between understanding of the current reform agenda and trust in the NHS. Interviews address issues related to healthcare such as: values, satisfaction, understanding of reform, exploring general bases of trust, exploring affective factors.

This research aims to contribute to theoretical understanding of institutional trust and to practical issues of welfare state reform.It is particularly timely when theoretical arguments suggest an increasing need for public trust, to enable the co-ordination of complex enterprises under conditions of uncertainty, and when rising demand and intensifying pressures for spending constraint provide a continuing impetus for reform. The current government is devoting considerable resources to welfare state reform and (arguably) achieving real improvements in services such as the NHS and education. Despite this, the reforms remain highly controversial and there is considerable concern about lack of public trust in and satisfaction with the new policies. Declining trust may undermine the public acceptability of the reforms and threaten the ability of government to gain electoral support for them.