Maltese have highest trust in health system

The trust in the Maltese health system during the COVID-19 pandemic has been confirmed in an EU-wide online survey.

Respondents from Malta and Denmark had the highest trust in their national healthcare system (8.1 and 8.0 out of a maximum of 10 respectively) in all 27 EU member states, and Hungary had the lowest (3.9).

Trust in the European Union in Malta was also slightly higher than the EU27 average, at 5 out of 10.

This emerges from an online survey carried out during April by Eurofound, an EU observatory on working conditions. The survey results for Malta are only indicative due to a lower response rate than in most other countries.

Malta scored the fourth best score when it comes to the mental health index, below Denmark, Luxembourg and Ireland but above Finland and Sweden. Moreover, nearly 60% of Maltese remain optimistic about their future.

But nearly 45% reported their financial situation to be worse than three months ago. Over 30% think the situation will further deteriorate in three months’ time. Nearly 40% reported changes in working time during the pandemic and nearly 35% reported starting teleworking

The survey investigated the impact of COVID-19 on wellbeing, work and telework and on the financial situation of people living in Europe.

To capture the immediate economic and social effects of this crisis, Eurofound launched a large-scale online survey across the European Union and beyond on 9 April. By 30 April, more than 85,000 people had already taken part in the e-survey. The survey will remain online over the next few months in order to capture the impact across time of the COVID-19 pandemic on life and work in the EU and the final results will be published in September 2020.

The survey findings also confirm an increase in telework and, for a growing number of respondents, a feeling of insecurity regarding their jobs with a dramatic decrease in working time.

It also paints a stark picture of people across the 27 EU member states who have seen their economic situation worsen and are deeply concerned about their financial future.

One group that is particularly challenged by the change in work patterns as a result of COVID-19 are people with children, given that in the present circumstances they cannot avail of childcare services and in some cases also have to supervise schooling at home.