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Almost half of people surveyed in a poll think Boris Johnson is lying about the NHS and a US trade deal, a damning poll reveals.

The Prime Minister claims that the NHS is not “on the table”, but only 31% believe him, compared to 45% who say he is lying and 24% who say they “don’t know”.

The poll found that 57% of people are either “very concerned” or “quite concerned” about the impact a trade deal with Donald Trump could have on the NHS.

And the overwhelming majority of the British public do not want the NHS included in any trade deals with any other country, according to the poll commissioned by campaign group We Own It, carried out by Survation.

(Image: Getty)

It found 71% said they didn’t think the NHS should be included in trade deals, compared to just 16% who said that they did.

When asked which parties they trust to ensure the NHS is a publicly funded and publicly run institution, just 18% said they trusted the Conservative Party compared to 31% for Labour - the highest of any party.

Mr Johnson has denied the NHS is up for grabs in a deal on numerous occasions and ahead of meeting Mr Trump in New York last month, the PM said he would tell the President: “When we do a free trade deal, we must make sure that the NHS is not on the table, that we do not in any way prejudice or jeopardise our standards on animal welfare and food hygiene in the course of that deal, and that we open up American markets.”

(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

The polling comes as a coalition of more than a dozen organisations - led by Keep Our NHS Public and We Own It - have come together to push the government to protect the NHS from trade deals.

Ellen Lees, campaigns officer of We Own It, said: “This poll shows clearly that the public understand just how big of a threat a US trade deal is to our NHS.

"And it shows that they’re firmly against the idea that our NHS could be sold off bit by bit to Donald Trump and American private healthcare giants.

“Because the private sector already has a major role in the NHS, it is automatically on the table in a trade deal - no matter what Boris Johnson says.

“That’s why it’s absolutely vital that the government ends the privatisation of our NHS once and for all. That’s the only way we can protect it from being sold off in a trade deal.”

DR Tony O’Sullivan, co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, said: “The NHS has faced six years of destructive top-down disorganisation.

(Image: Philip Coburn/Daily Mirror)

"Legislation to return the NHS wholly to the care and responsibility of public service and ending privatisation is the only cast-iron defence against a Johnson-Trump deal.

“Only this will guarantee for our children the future of the NHS as a public service for all.”

The Mirror previously reported how The Office of the US Trade Representative published a summary of objectives for US-UK trade negotiations after Brexit .

It says US pharmaceutical firms want “full market access for US products”.

Parliament recently voted against an amendment to the Queen’s Speech proposed by Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth that sought to end NHS privatisation.

The amendment was supported by Labour, the Green Party, the SNP , Plaid Cymru and a number of Independents.

The Conservatives and the DUP voted against the amendment, along with a group of Independents, while the Liberal Democrats abstained.

We Own It and Keep Our NHS Public have launched a public campaign where constituents are asking their MPs and parliamentary candidates to sign a pledge committing to end NHS privatisation.

Nearly 900,000 people have signed a petition to keep the NHS out of any trade deals.

A government spokesman said about the poll: “The NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic‎. The government is committed to the guiding principles of the NHS – that it is universal and free at the point of need.

“As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that public services – including the NHS – are protected in all trade agreements it is party to, whether transitioned from an EU context or as a result of new negotiations.”