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The NHS - and not Brexit - is now the most important issue to UK voters, according to a new poll.

The Ipsos MORI survey, released shortly after 1pm, will come as a boost to Jeremy Corbyn who voters see as strong on the National Health Service.

The poll also has favourability towards Labour improving slightly but the party leader is still viewed negatively by six out of 10 voters.

And 57% of those asked predict the election next month will see the Conservatives as the largest party, compared to just 22% who believe Labour will come out on top.

When asked which issues will decide your vote 60% chose the NHS, a rise of 6% compared to November 11 and 4% ahead of Europe/ Brexit on 56%.

(Image: PA)

Last week damning statistics showed NHS waiting times in England were at an all time high and the worst since modern A&E records began in 2004.

And the Tories campaign pledge for 40 new hospitals has come under intense scrutiny from bonafide factcheckers.

Ipsos MORI Research Director Keiran Pedley said: “Our campaign tracker shows that nothing has fundamentally changed in the second week of the campaign in terms of public opinion.

"There are some signs of Labour improving slightly, reflected in voting intention polls too, but they are still a long way off where they need to be to stop the Conservatives returning to office after the election.

(Image: PA)

"That being said, with three weeks to go, there is still time for Labour to turn things round following the upcoming manifesto launches and series of leaders debates.”

Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 1,140 British adults. Interviews were conducted online: between November 15 and 18.

In last night's TV debate Corbyn hammered Boris Johnson on the NHS and said that he was going to "sell our National Health Service to the United States and big pharma".

(Image: Handout)

Johnson replied: “This is an absolute invention. It is completely untrue. Under no circumstances whatever will this government, or any Conservative government, put the NHS on the table in any trade negotiation. Our NHS will never be for sale.

“We will continue to fund the NHS massively, as we are. We can only do so because we have a strong and dynamic economy.”

And he sought to suggest that Labour’s radical reforms to the economy would wreck the public finances.