SNP most trusted on running NHS

event, during which she discussed a Brexit deal The SNP is the party Scottish voters trust most with the NHS, according to a new survey.

More than half of Scots think the health service has become worse in the past three years, while more than three-quarters say they would be prepared to pay an extra 1p in the pound on income tax for a better-funded NHS.

The survey also reveals that 74.1 per cent of people in Scotland believe there should be universal access to all NHS services, while 76.5 per cent say the private sector should have no role in run- ning the NHS. In terms of the current state of the NHS, 42 per cent of survey respondents in Scotland said they have struggled to get a GP appointment in the last year, while 54 per cent said they thought NHS services had got worse since 2014.

Only 15.7 per cent said health chiefs should be allowed to charge for car parking at hospitals.

With health set to be a major election issue, the SNP’S apparent lead in terms of the public’s trust could be a major factor.

Given a choice of four major parties – the SNP, the Con- servatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats – 42.9 per cent of respondents in Scotland said they trusted the SNP most with the NHS.

Only 32.4 per cent said they trusted Labour most, while 19.5 per cent said the Conservatives and just 5.2 per cent the Lib Dems.

There was, however, significant support in Scotland for the flagship Lib Dem policy of making people pay an extra 1p in the pound in income tax to raise an estimated £6 billion a year for the NHS.

Some 78 per cent of people in Scotland said they would be prepared to pay.