Trust in doctors at its highest for twenty years, poll shows

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 23 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Press release date: Tuesday, 23 Mar 2004 (BMA London)

Trust in doctors in the UK is at its highest for over twenty years, a MORI poll shows today (Tuesday 23 March, 2004).

In its annual poll of trust in the professions, MORI has found that more than nine in ten members of the public (92%) trust doctors to tell the truth. This is higher than the rating for any other professional group included in the poll, and the highest since it began in 1983.

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%).

A third (33%) do not think that doctors are supported by the NHS, compared with forty-six per cent who say they are. Almost half (47%) believe doctors are underpaid, compared to sixteen per cent who believe they are overpaid. More than four in ten (43%) believe doctors are supportive of the NHS, compared to thirty-four per cent, who think they are critical of the NHS.

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%).1 Most MPs have a positive view of doctors working in the NHS. They see them as committed (92%), hard-working (87%), and vocationally driven (74%). As well as believing they work effectively (82%) the majority view doctors as helpful (83%). Almost as many MPs as members of the public trust doctors to tell the truth (89% compared to 92%)2.

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."

The full topline results of the poll are available from the BMA Press Office.

Ends

1 A small minority (7%) believe doctors are both patient-focused and self-centred
2 Three per cent of MPs believe doctors are both trustworthy and untrustworthy

Notes to editors:

General Public Interviews:

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. Interviews were conducted face-to-face, in-home, from 26 February - 2 March 2004, using CAPI (computer assisted personal interviewing). All data have been weighted to the known profile of the British population.

Interviews with MPs:

MORI 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, from 3 November - 15 December 2003, using face-to-face interviews

Contact:
BMA Press Office, tel. 020 7383 6254
MORI Michele Corrado or Clive Morris, tel. 0207 347 3000