Google Button Μake us preferred on Google

Nearly 63% of Greeks have a positive or somewhat positive opinion of the country’s National Health System (ESY), while more than half believe its services have improved over the past three years, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Opinion Poll for the news outlet Liberal.

The October 2026 survey found that 62.9% of respondents viewed the public health system favorably. At the same time, the findings highlighted persistent concerns about day-to-day service, accessibility and differences in the experiences of various social groups.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis welcomed the results in a post on X, describing them as “remarkable polling findings.” He said the survey reflected majority recognition of specific improvements to the system while acknowledging that a significant portion of the public continues to express criticism.

Free screenings and hospital upgrades receive strong approval

The survey found that 76% of respondents had used at least one ESY service in the previous 12 months, while 24% said they had not needed or used such services.

Government initiatives received varying levels of approval for their contribution to improving health care services. The highest rating went to the “PROLAMVANO” program, which provides free preventive screenings, with 88.4% of respondents expressing a positive or somewhat positive opinion of its impact.

Other measures also received favorable assessments:

  • Digital health records: 77.3%
  • Renovations of hospitals and health centers: 72.7%
  • Afternoon surgical procedures: 60.3%

A separate measure intended to reduce waiting times in emergency departments, known as the “bracelet” system, received a more mixed response. Some 54.7% viewed it positively, while 34.3% gave negative responses, indicating continued concerns about access and the experience of receiving care.

Digital health services are widely welcomed

Digital tools, including electronic prescriptions, the MyHealth platform and online appointment booking, were widely seen as making public health services easier to access.

Nearly half of respondents, or 47.3%, said these services were very useful, while 33.4% considered them fairly useful. Combined, 80.7% gave a positive assessment of their contribution to access. Another 13.8% said they were of limited usefulness, while 4.8% considered them not useful at all.

However, the survey identified differences in how people experience digital health services across age groups and regions.

Among respondents aged 17 to 29, approximately 90.6% rated the tools as very or fairly useful. That figure fell to about 72.6% among people aged 65 and older.

The findings suggest that, although digital services are broadly accepted across age groups, some people may need alternative ways to access care if they struggle to use online applications.

Positive assessments were also common among salaried employees, professionals and business owners, while responses varied among farmers, pensioners and other occupational groups.

The survey found no major divide between men and women in their assessment of digital health tools, with both groups broadly recognizing their usefulness.

Regional differences were also recorded, although the survey cautioned against treating them as a definitive ranking of health care performance. Smaller sample sizes outside major urban centers limit the reliability of direct comparisons between regions.

More than half report improvements over three years

Overall, 56.5% of respondents said public health services had improved compared with three years earlier.

Of those surveyed, 16.6% reported significant improvement and 39.9% said services had improved considerably. Meanwhile, 23.6% believed the situation had remained unchanged, and 17.9% reported either slight or substantial deterioration. The remaining 2% did not express an opinion.

Experiences varied across the country, with some regions recording higher shares of respondents who perceived improvements following hospital visits, while others had more people reporting stagnation or a decline in services.

The findings point to broad public recognition of progress in Greece’s health system, alongside continuing concerns about accessibility and the consistency of care.