Doctors the most trusted professionals

[Posted: Wed 27/04/2011 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

Doctors are the most trusted profession in Ireland, according to a new survey.

The survey, carried out by Millward Browne Lansdowne on behalf of the regulatory body, the Medical Council, showed that 88% of adults trusted doctors to tell them the truth.

After doctors, the most trusted professions were teachers, with 79% of those polled trusting them to tell the truth, followed by professors (72%); and judges (71%), the survey found.

The survey, which was conducted before the General Election in February, found TDs to be the least trusted profession (12%) followed by pollsters (25%) and business leaders (27%).

Thirty-seven per cent of people trusted journalists to tell the truth, while 32% said they would trust trade union officials to be truthful.

Fifty per cent of those polled said they trusted priests/clergymen to tell the truth.

The Medical Council survey also found that 85% of those polled felt doctors to be doing their jobs either 'very well' or 'fairly well', with 39% stating 'very well'.

In addition, 50% of the 1,008 people polled said the experience they have with the doctor they attend most often was 'very satisfactory'.

From next month, all doctors will have a statutory obligation to maintain their professional skills and competence.