The NHS tops the list of things that make people most proud to be British

As junior doctors across England have walked out for their second 24-hour strike over changes to their contracts, a new poll has revealed that the NHS is by a margin the thing which British people are most proud of.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has come under heavy criticism during the negotiations between the junior doctors' union, the British Medical Association, and the government and NHS employers.

Recent polling data from Ipsos-Mori showed that the public overwhelmingly supported the doctors - just 13 per cent said the breakdown in negotiations were junior doctors' fault compared to 64 per cent who blame the Government.

New data from Opinium, meanwhile, has shown that of a list of options, 36 per cent picked the NHS as one of their top choices for what made them proud to be British:

James Sweatman, head of healthcare for Opinium, said of the poll carried out between 15 January and 3 February 2016:

For almost 70 years, the National Health Service has stood as a symbol of national pride and our commitment to the principles of equality and humanitarianism, and it is heart-warming to see it tops our list of things that make us proud to be British.

It is a timely reminder to us all that while the future of the health service remains unclear, what is abundantly clear is just how important it remains to our national identity and sense of Britishness.

So, in short, please don't mess it up Jeremy.