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Nearly three-quarters of voters think the NHS is getting worse, including 3 in 5 Conservatives

The NHS was the most important issue for voters in the general election, a TUC/GQRR poll of 3,100 voters has found.

The health service was the number one issue for Labour, Lib Dem, SNP and Green voters, and in the top three issues for Conservative and UKIP supporters.

The poll also shows that nearly three-quarters (73%) of voters think that the NHS is getting worse – including 61% of Conservative voters.

The figures are released as part of the NHS’s 69th birthday today (Wednesday), which will be marked by campaign events at 33 hospitals across the UK, organised by the TUC, Health Campaigns Together and the NHS Support Federation.

Campaigners will be displaying giant birthday cards for the NHS, calling for increased funding, along with fair pay for staff and guarantees for a publicly-owned and operated health service.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“The NHS is issue number one for voters. This message should be a wake-up call for Westminster.

“On its 69th birthday, our health service is crying out for funding, while brave NHS workers badly need a pay rise.

“It’s time for ministers to listen to voters and stump up the cash our health service needs.”

Co-Chairs of Health Campaigns Together, Dr Louise Irvine and Merril Hammer, said:

“Our NHS has been put under unprecedented pressure. It has been underfunded, cut, and privatised, all while staff suffer a pay squeeze.

“The health service belongs to all of us, and groups across the country like Health Campaigns Together and the People's Assembly will stand up for a fully funded, publicly owned and provided NHS.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
- All polling figures are from a TUC-commissioned GQRR nationally representative poll 3,102 voters in Great Britain. Online fieldwork was performed following the general election, from 9-12 of June. All data is available online here: www.gqrr.com/articles/2017/6/29/post-general-election-poll-for-the-tuc-…
- Analysis by the Health Foundation has shown that Conservative Party spending plans would leave the NHS with a funding gap of £21bn by 2022.
- Photo opportunity: Campaign events taking place outside hospitals are listed below, and mapped here: bit.ly/2s9xjDA . Contact details are available from the TUC press office.

Venue

City

Postcode

Start

End

Southend University Hospital

Southend/Westcliff-on-Sea

SS0 0RY

12.30pm

2pm

George Elliott

Nuneaton

CV10 7DJ

9.30am

2.30pm

City Hospital

Birmingham

B18 7QH

11am

2pm

Warwick Hospital

Warwick

CV34 5BW

1pm

3pm

Norfolk and Norwich

Norwich

NR4 7UY

7am

9am

Queens Medical Centre

Nottingham

NG7 2UH

1pm

1.30pm

Greys Monument

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 5AF

12pm

2pm

Royal Victoria Infirmary

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 4LP

2.30pm

3.30pm

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Treliske, Truro

TR1 3LQ

12am

2pm

City centre - sundial

Plymouth

PL1 1LA

9am

5pm

Great Western Hospital

Swindon

SN3 6BB

5pm

6pm

Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Liverpool

L7 8XP

12pm

2pm

Aintree hospital

Liverpool

L9 7AL

12pm

2pm

Southampton General

Southampton

SO16 6YD

2pm

3pm

Dewsbury Hospital

Dewsbury

WF13 4HS

4pm

5pm

St Richard's

Chichester

PO19 6SE

11am

1pm

Royal Sussex

Brighton

BN2 5BE

12pm

2pm

Medway

Gillingham

ME7 5NY

tbc

Leeds General

Leeds

LS1 3EX

7.30am

9.30am

St James

Leeds

LS9 7TF

12pm

2pm

Royal Derby

Derby

DE22 3NE

4.30pm

6pm

Chesterfield Royal

Chesterfield

S44 5BL

5pm

6pm

Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital

Sheffield

S10 2JF

8am

9.30am

Barnet General

Barnet

EN5 3DJ

7.30am

9am

Lewisham

London

SE13 6LH

12pm

2pm

Royal London Whitechapel

London

E1 1BB

7.30am

9.30am

Barts

London

EC1A 7BE

12noon

3pm

Ealing Hospital

Southall

UB1 3HW

12pm

2pm

UCLH

London

NW1 2BU

5.30pm

6.30pm

Charing Cross Hospital

London

W6 8RF

12pm

2pm

Queen Elzabeth's

London

SE18 4QH

12pm

2pm

Whipps Cross

London

E11 1NR

8am

9am

St Peter's

Chertsey

KT16 0PZ

12pm

2pm

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