People's experiences of poor health and loneliness in the UK have not improved five years on from the first COVID-19 lockdown, new figures suggest, with a charity warning "lasting" effects of the pandemic are continuing to leave "many people isolated".

The proportion of people in Britain reporting good or very good health has declined slowly but steadily since March 2020, while the percentage of those saying they feel lonely often or some of the time has remained broadly unchanged, according to analysis of survey data.

The figures come as the UK marks the annual COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday.

The first coronavirus lockdown was introduced across the country on March 23 2020, imposing widespread restrictions on travelling, socialising and leisure activities in the face of a rising number of infections and deaths.

To trace people's experiences of wellbeing and loneliness in the period since the first lockdown, PA news agency has analysed data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.

The survey has been carried out regularly over the past five years among a sample of individuals aged 16 and over in England, Scotland and Wales.

The data shows:

- While more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of those surveyed reported good or very good health at the beginning of the first lockdown, this figure started to drop in summer 2020, dipped below 70 per cent in spring 2021, has remained below 70 per cent since early 2023, and stood at 65 per cent at the start of this year.

- Some 23 people of people said they feel lonely often, always or some of the time at the start of the first lockdown; the figure has remained between 24 per cent and 29 per cent since early 2023 and stood at 25 per cent in January-February.

- Half of people surveyed (50 per cent) reported high levels of anxiety at the beginning of the first lockdown; this fell as 2020 continued, spiked at 42 per cent in early 2021 during the second nationwide lockdown, but has since settled in the low 30s.

- The proportion of people feeling low levels of life satisfaction is similar now (nine per cent) to March 2020 (eight per cent), though levels rose during the autumn and winter of 2020, spiking briefly at 16 per cent in early 2021.

Responding to the findings, the Royal Society for Public Health said persistent poor health suggests there has been a failure to learn lessons from the pandemic.

William Roberts, chief executive of the charity, said: "This data comes as no surprise. We know that health has been declining in recent years, with healthy life expectancy falling and health inequalities widening.

"The persistence of loneliness is worrying. Social isolation has negative impacts on both physical and mental health, and is likely driving low levels of happiness and life satisfaction. The effects of the pandemic are lasting, leaving many people isolated.

"Persistent poor health shows we have failed to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are to reverse these trends, we need to see a shift to prevention."

Jacob Lant, chief executive of National Voices - a coalition of health and social care charities - said the analysis highlights "worrying trends".

"The health inequalities surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic are still present, and still very stark."

The data also highlights the change in UK working practices since 2020, with just over a quarter of people (26 per cent) now in a hybrid situation where they work from home for part of the week.

In May 2020, one in three people said they had worked entirely from home in the previous week, but this has settled at close to one in seven over the past year.

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