Nigel Farage has been condemned after he said he no longer wanted the NHS to be funded from “general taxation”.

The Reform UK leader, who has faced accusations from Labour that he wants to charge people for healthcare, made the comment as voters across England go to the polls in the local elections.

Farage has previously highlighted the way that the French healthcare system is funded through a mixture of public funding and private insurance.

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby told him: “The French have a statutory health system levied from a mix of contributions from earned income an unearned income. There’s central government funding and a little bit of top-up fee. That’s what’s allowed Labour to levy this charge at you.”

Farage replied: “Well if Labour are upset that the rich might have to pay for healthcare, I find that a very odd position for them to be in.”

Rigby then said: “Just to be clear, do you want it to be still funded through general taxation or do you think we need to look at the funding model?”

Farage said: “I do not want it funded through general taxation. It’s doesn’t work. It’s not working. We’re getting worse bang for the buck from than any other country, particularly out of those European neighbours.

“I want it free at the point of delivery, but it’s how we get there.”

Health secretary Wes Streeting pounced on the remarks.

He said: “Nigel Farage has said the quiet part out loud: he doesn’t want a publicly funded NHS.

“With Farage’s plans to leave people paying over a grand for an A&E trip only one thing is clear – patients would be worse off under Reform.”