Doctors are still viewed by the public as the most trustworthy members of society, a poll indicates today.

The case of the serial killer Harold Shipman, the furore over GPs' pay, and the rise in patients diagnosing themselves via the internet have done little to dampen the esteem in which doctors are held.

More than nine out of 10 people (92%) trust them to tell the truth - in stark contrast to less than two out of 10 (19%) who trust journalists, the least highly regarded profession.

Teachers closely follow medics, with 88% of people trusting them, as do professors (80%), and judges and clergymen - both 75%.

Perhaps given the shooting by police of the innocent Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes - wrongly suspected of being involved in the July 7 bombings - police are trusted by only 61%.

But politicians and government ministers rank as the second and third least admired professions, with 20% and 22% respectively trusting them. The survey of 2,074 adults, by pollsters Ipsos MORI, was commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians. Doctors have topped the list of most trusted professions almost every year since the poll began.

Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "I am delighted that once again, the public have voted doctors the most trusted professional."

A spokesperson for the British Medical Association added: "Doctors will be pleased to learn that at a time of constant change within the NHS, they continue to be highly regarded and trusted by their patients. Trust is a vital element of the doctor-patient relationship."