Most Britons willing to pay more tax to fund NHS, survey finds

More than three in five Britons would back tax increases to boost NHS funding, a new survey shows.

The findings mark the first time in a decade that a majority of voters say they are willing to pay more to increase spending on the ailing health service, which is facing a £20bn funding gap.

The 2017 British Social Attitudes poll found that 61% support the tax hikes, compared with 49% in 2016 and 41% in 2015. The findings indicate “a significant swing in favour of the policy among Conservative supporters”, says The Times.

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The survey of just over 1,000 people also revealed increased levels of dissatisfaction with the state of the NHS: 45% thought NHS care had got worse over the past five years.

Only 20% of respondents said they expect care standards to improve over the next five years, while 56% think it will continue to slide - an increase of 21 percentage points since 2014.

Theresa May has said she plans to announce a long-term plan for funding the NHS in coming months. This recent data “will strengthen the case” of those urging the Prime Minister to commit to budget increases, says The Times.

Chris Ham, chief executive of the King’s Fund think tank, which analysed the data, said the findings should not be ignored.

“If I was sitting in Whitehall I would sit up and take notice. I have not seen anything as dramatic as this over such a time period. It’s a wake-up call for ministers to follow through on Theresa May’s commitment,”he said.