The NHS is the issue that most voters say they are most concerned about, in a survey of attitudes towards Brexit carried out in Swansea, released to mark the third anniversary of the Brexit vote. Almost 90% of respondents put the NHS in the highest category of importance.

The survey also showed that more than three times as many people wanted to stay in the EU compared to crashing out with no deal.

The results come after US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US would want to include the NHS in talks about a trade deal if the UK were to leave the EU.

The British Medical Association, representing doctors across the UK, has described Brexit as “a major threat to the NHS and the nation’s health”.

The survey was carried out door-to-door with households in West Cross, by volunteers from Swansea for Europe.  Almost 150 responses were received.

People were asked about a series of issues and asked to rate from 1 to 5 how important they were in relation to Brexit:

• 88% of respondents gave a rating of 5 – maximum importance –  to the NHS
• Next came opportunities for young people (81% of respondents rating it with a 5) and the economy (80%)
• Only 24% of people said immigration was of maximum importance, whereas 37% gave it a 1 rating (least important)

In addition, people were asked what their preferred outcome would be from the Brexit debate:

• Over three times as many people wanted to remain in the EU as wanted to leave with no deal – 62% v 17%

Paul Willner, chair of Swansea for Europe, said:

“This survey is further proof that the tide has turned against Brexit in Swansea.

Many people voted Leave in 2016 as they believed it would help the NHS.  The cold hard reality is that Brexit is a disaster for the NHS.

Feedback from our work on the city’s streets and the opinion polls all point in the same direction.   People are seeing through the false promises and realising that Brexit is harming our city and our NHS.

Ordinary people in Swansea – and across the country – are fed up with the fiasco of Brexit.   They want to have their say on the biggest issue this country has faced in decades.”

Andre D’Ambra of Swansea for Europe, who led the survey, said:

“Leaving the EU would be the biggest decision in a generation, and a lot has changed since the referendum nearly 3 years ago.   That’s why we need a People’s Vote.

In my view, there is no deal we can get which is better than the one we have, as EU members.  But we should let the people decide, now that we know the real options, not just campaign slogans”