Less than half of people in England understand current lockdown rules

Under half (45%) of people in England report having a 'broad understanding' of the current lockdown rules, compared to 90% across the UK during the strict lockdown period, finds UCL's Covid-19 Social Study. Levels in Scotland and Wales have also fallen but are higher than those in England, with reported levels of understanding at 75% and 61% respectively. Complete understanding has fallen even further, with only 14% of adults in England reporting understanding the rules completely as lockdown eased, compared to 18% in Wales and 27% in Scotland. It is the UK's largest study into how adults are feeling about the lockdown, government advice and overall wellbeing and mental health with over 70,000 participants who have been followed across the last 19 weeks. Access to healthcare has also fallen during the lockdown, with 1 in 10 people across the UK reporting being unable to see or speak with a GP about their physical health, 1 in 20 unable to speak to a professional about their mental health, and 1 in 5 not telling a GP about symptoms of an illness when they usually would have done (even when appointments to see GPs were available). Groups who faced the most barriers included younger adults, women, individuals from BAME backgrounds, and people with physical and mental health conditions. People with a diagnosed mental health condition were significantly more likely to have not spoken to a mental health professional when they usually would have done, with a fifth reported not being able to access professional mental health support during lockdown.