MOTHERS are more likely to turn to "Dr Google" than their family doctor if their child is poorly, a poll suggests.

A new survey found GPs are third on the list of sources of advice for mothers, behind seeking help from their own mothers and going online.

The poll, conducted by law firm Irwin Mitchell on 2,000 mothers across the UK, found one in five would go to their GP first if their child was ill.

However, 29 per cent said they would first ask their own mother for advice and 26 per cent would rely on the internet for information.

Not wanting to bother their GP unnecessarily was the most common reason (58 per cent) for mothers turning to other places for advice.

Almost three in five also said past experience with a doctor had made them feel like a "paranoid mother".

Lisa Jordan, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said people seemed to be losing confidence in the resources available to the NHS.

But she cautioned: "The problem with advice over the internet is that it can be difficult to verify how appropriate or accurate the diagnosis is and there is a wealth of information that is out of date or just plain wrong."