Survey reveals doctors as most trusted professionals

Doctors are the most trusted of the UK's professionals with a 92% rating, but four in five members of the public consider the journalists and politicians to be somewhat less than sincere, according an annual survey by the pollster Mori.

The least trusted groups are journalists (20%), politicians (22%), and government ministers (23%). After doctors, trust is highest in teachers (89%) and professors (80%).

More than nine in ten members of the public (92%) are satisfied with the way doctors do their jobs, compared with fewer than three in ten (27%) for politicians. Most believe doctors are hardworking (87%), committed (85%), and helpful (83%).

The trust rating for doctors is higher than the rating for any other professional group included in the poll, and the highest since it began in 1983.

This year MORI conducted a separate survey of politicians' attitudes to doctors. It found that three quarters of MPs (74%) believe doctors are patient-focused, as opposed to self-centred (18%). Most MPs have a positive view of doctors working in the NHS.

Commenting on the results of the poll, BMA chairman Mr James Johnson said: "Doctors will be heartened to know that they retain such high levels of trust and that their hard work is valued by the public.

"Strong doctor-patient partnerships are at the heart of healthcare, and the BMA will continue to work to ensure that patients get the NHS they deserve."

Mori Social Research Institute interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,004 adults aged 15+ in 196 sampling points across Great Britain, via omnibus methodology. Mori also interviewed a representative sample of 102 MPs from all sides of the House (Labour: 59, Conservative: 28 and Others: 15), on one of its twice-annual parliamentary surveys.

(gmcg)