Rating of health and care experiences in terms of quality of life (c25)

• This measures how people who have responded to the national Health and Care Experience survey rated their health and care experience in terms of quality of life. The survey responses include the following measure:

• Quality of life - % of adults supported at home who agree their services and support had an impact on improving or maintaining their quality of life.

• The Health and Care Experience survey is undertaken every two years.  It asks about people's experiences (during the previous 12 months) of accessing and using their GP practice and other local healthcare services, as well as receiving care, support, and help with everyday living, and caring responsibilities.
• The figures used in this analysis are based on a subset of the survey which includes only those respondents whose care was funded by a council or health board. This may differ from figures included in the national report, which includes all respondents regardless of how their care is funded.

Why this matters

Measuring these indicators shows how effectively local services are supporting people’s everyday wellbeing, future resilience, and longer-term life chances.

• Tracking quality‑of‑life indicators confirms whether services improve everyday experiences rather than only addressing clinical needs. Without this evidence, it becomes difficult to determine whether people are genuinely enabled to thrive or to direct interventions where they will have the greatest benefit.

Latest performance

Quality of life - % of adults supported at home who agree their services and support had an impact on improving or maintaining their quality of life

107,538 (out of 526,758) individuals registered with a GP practice in Scotland responded to the 2024 national survey, an overall response rate of 20% - a decrease from 24% in the 2022 survey.

The response rate in 2024 in North Lanarkshire was 18% (6,429 out of a sample of 36,443), a decrease from 20% in the 2022 survey. 

Quality of life - % of adults supported at home who agree their services and support had an impact on improving or maintaining their quality of life

• The results from the 2024 perception survey showed that 67.7% of people surveyed in North Lanarkshire agree that their services and supports improves or maintains their quality of life.
• The latest results show a decline compared to the previous survey in 2022 (77.0%) and are lower than The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline (75.6%).

North Lanarkshire’s results over the years mirror the trends that can be seen in both the national average and the comparative average for the group of similar councils.

Figure 25a shows that North Lanarkshire’s latest results are lower than the comparative average for the group of similar councils (69.4%), which is closer to the latest national average (69.8%).

Changes in the calculations nationally in 2018 for the indicator mean the data before this date is not necessarily directly comparable with the data for 2020, 2022, or 2024 so care should be taken when assessment the trends.

It is expected that the 2022 results will reflect, to some extent, individual perceptions that were acquired during the pandemic, making comparisons with this particular year less able to be made on a similar basis.

Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire

Improving these indicators would signal that more people are benefiting from support that strengthens their independence, participation, and everyday stability.  

• Quality of life - when services genuinely improve people’s day‑to‑day experiences, they are better able to stay in work, continue education, manage their homes, and take part in everyday activities. This reduces absence from work, delays the need for higher‑intensity support, and strengthens social connectedness and financial stability.