DOCTORS ARE the most trusted professionals in the State while TDs and pollsters are the least trusted, according to the findings of a survey published yesterday.
The research carried out by Millward Brown Lansdowne on behalf of the Medical Council, which regulates the medical profession, also found only half the population trust clergymen or priests to tell the truth, but they are trusted more highly than journalists, with just 37 per cent of people surveyed saying they trusted the latter.
After doctors, who are trusted by 88 per cent of the public to tell the truth, the next most trusted professionals are teachers (79 per cent), professors (72 per cent) and judges (71 per cent). They are followed by gardaí, who are trusted to tell the truth by more than 64 per cent of people surveyed.
Television newsreaders are viewed as trustworthy by 63 per cent, civil servants by 45 per cent, while trade union officials and business leaders are trusted by 32 per cent and 27 per cent of the public respectively.
While only one in 10 people trusted TDs to tell the truth, it has been pointed out by the Medical Council that it was conducted between February 9th and March 3rd when the debate over the general election was intense.
A nationally representative sample of 1,008 adults were surveyed by pollsters who, ironically, were found to be trusted by just a quarter of those surveyed.
The ordinary man or woman on the street is trusted to tell the truth by 41 per cent of people, while scientists are trusted by 61 per cent.
Those surveyed were asked to indicate their level of trust in 16 different professions from a prepared list, to say how well or badly they felt most doctors do their job and to rate their level of satisfaction with the doctor they attend most often. Some 50 per cent of people said they were very satisfied with their doctor, 43 per cent were satisfied and the remainder were dissatisfied or did not know.
Doctors also scored highly on how well they do their jobs. Some 39 per cent of people surveyed said they believed they were doing their jobs very well and 46 per cent said they were doing their jobs fairly well. From May 1st, doctors have a statutory obligation to maintain professional competence through lifelong learning and skills development.
Council president Prof Kieran Murphy said the results reflected very well on the profession. Given people trusted doctors most and TDs least, what would they think of those who were both, like Minister for Health James Reilly? “It’s difficult based on our survey to gauge what those levels of trust might be,” Prof Murphy replied.