25% OF PEOPLE in Ireland haven’t visited their GP in the last year, according to survey research by the Medical Council. This has risen from 15% of people in 2020.

In the same time frame, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of people frequently visiting their doctor, with 24% of people choosing instead to arrange phone appointments, up from 2% in 2020.

Those living in Dublin and between the ages of 35-49 are the most likely cohort to have availed of telemedicine services.

The use of social media to contact doctors was also noted, with 9% of people using these platforms for medical advice. However, of these people, only 11% checked beforehand to make sure the doctors they were contacting were registered.

The research, released alongside the updated Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for doctors, also looked at which professions the Irish public trusted the most to tell the truth.

It found that teachers topped the poll, with 91% of people saying they trusted them to tell the truth, followed closely by doctors at 89%. TDs and journalists came bottom of the table, at 36% and 43% respectively.

Full results can be seen below:

Speaking at the launch of the ethics guide, Dr Suzanne Crowe, who chaired the ethics committee that reviewed it, said the results reflect well on the medical profession.

“Our public opinion research shows that doctors continue to be among the most trusted professions in Ireland,” she said. “This is a privilege, and one we do not take for granted.”

Results of the survey, which spoke to a sample of 1,005 people over the age of 16, are within a 2.8% margin of error rate.

The ethics guide is updated every five years and this ninth edition will be in place from January 2024.