Almost half in Yorkshire and the Humber ‘don’t trust government with NHS’

A further one in fpur people (25%) say that their trust on the issue has dropped in the last year.

The YouGov poll of 2,021 British adults was commissioned by campaigning organisation 38 Degrees.

It comes as hundreds of local people across Yorkshire prepare to take to the streets this Saturday to raise awareness of a secretive trade deal with the USA that could leave the NHS and other public services at risk of permanent privatisation.

The treaty would force NHS trusts across the country to open up to competition from American private healthcare providers, and would allow big businesses to sue the government if British laws dent their profits.

Blanche Jones, campaign director at 38 Degrees, said: “It’s no surprise that people in Yorkshire are worried about the fate of their local GPs and hospitals. Our NHS is being used as a bargaining chip in a deal done behind closed doors.

“Most of us only need to take one look at American healthcare to know that that isn’t what we want in this country. That’s why thousands of 38 Degrees members will be taking to the streets this Saturday to spread the word about this new threat to our NHS.

“This will be a bad deal for ordinary people in Yorkshire. Politicians of all parties need to explain exactly what they’re doing to get it fixed or scrapped.”