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Two thirds of British adult support increased taxes to fund NHS

Two thirds of British adult support increased taxes to fund NHS
By Carolyn Wickware
22 May 2017



Two thirds of adults think that taxes should be increased to fund the NHS, an Ipsos Mori poll has found.

The poll asked 1,985 adults over the age of 15 across Great Britain whether, in light of the increasing costs of funding the NHS, they would support raising taxes, reducing spending on other services, or reducing the level of care and services provided by the NHS.

Some 64% said they would prefer to increase taxes, with only 9% in favour of reducing the level of care and 17% choosing to reduce spending on other services.

Two thirds of adults think that taxes should be increased to fund the NHS, an Ipsos Mori poll has found.

The poll asked 1,985 adults over the age of 15 across Great Britain whether, in light of the increasing costs of funding the NHS, they would support raising taxes, reducing spending on other services, or reducing the level of care and services provided by the NHS.

Some 64% said they would prefer to increase taxes, with only 9% in favour of reducing the level of care and 17% choosing to reduce spending on other services.

The poll follows the publication last week of the three main political party manifestos, which all included pledges to increase funding for the NHS.

But analysis from both the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation found that the funding commitments have fallen short of what is required to meet NHS demands over the next five years.

The poll also revealed the public’s concerns over the quality of healthcare services with 44% of people thinking that the standard of NHS care has got worse over the past year, and almost half believing that it will get worse over the next year.

Ruth Thorlby, assistant policy director at the Health Foundation, said: ‘The public has understood that the NHS and social care need more generous funding, and it is striking that such a significant majority say they are willing to see taxes rise, rather than reduce levels of service or see more cuts to other public services.’

However she added that the poll results are ‘not a blank cheque of goodwill’, with half of respondents also believing that the NHS wastes money, reinforcing the need for NHS services to continue with efforts to be more efficient. 

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