In Hungary health consciousness relates to people's will and their financial and social circumstances. At present the health care system offers consumers the opportunity for recovery and prevention both in private and public health facilities. Due to financing problems there is a great difference between the two types; health care professionals do their best to overcome difficulties, but in many cases mere expertise is not enough. Long waiting times and services unsubsidised by health funds try the patience of both the taxpayers and the medical personnel. Stress, the accelerated lifestyle and the economic situation can equally be blamed for the development of endemic diseases. However, it is more important to find out what the people behind the numbers want; what they do to maintain their health or to get better regardless of/depending on their financial conditions and what patients and doctors expect from the health care system. We have carried out a residents' survey on health consciousness in Nagykanizsa and analysed the demand and supply relations in order to demonstrate how much satisfied the consumers and health workers are with the health care system. The research included 500 local residents and 21 health service employees. The sample represents the respondents by age and sex. The questions covered the area of health maintenance, health service, eating habits and the efficiency of information.