The vast majority of people trust doctors to tell the truth, a new survey has found.

According to the findings, nine in 10 people trust that their doctors will be truthful and a similar number are satisfied with the doctor they attend most often.

Some 43% believe that doctors' practices have improved in the last five years, however 13% feel they have become worse.

When asked about the attributes a doctor should have, almost all respondents agreed that behaving honestly and with integrity, and respecting patients confidentiality and privacy, were the most important attributes.

People also want their doctors to behave in a reliable way and to treat them fairly and without prejudice.

Doctors were also asked about which aspects of professionalism were most important to them, and they also chose behaving honestly and with integrity as the main attribute a doctor should have.

Other aspects of professionalism that scored high among doctors included respecting patients' confidentiality, treating patients fairly and communicating in a clear and effective manner.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Medical Council, which is responsible for regulating doctors in Ireland. It was undertaken ahead of the council's publication of its updated Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics, which aims to provide principles-based guidance to doctors on a wide range of scenarios which are likely to arise over the course of their professional careers.

"Patients have a very high level of trust in doctors, and following a comprehensive consultation process we have sought to develop principles-based guidance to maintain those high levels of trust while clarifying the standards of professionalism and care expected from doctors," explained president of the Medical Council, Prof Freddie Woods.

He noted that while the research has shown that patients and doctors have very similar views on what makes a good doctor, neither rated leadership as highly as some other attributes.

"The council is of the view that leadership is an essential attribute for doctors to have and the challenge for the health system will be to empower more doctors to take on leadership roles and maximise their contribution to the evolution of healthcare," Prof Woods said.

The updated guide can be read here