Most sought reductions in the wait for heart or cancer treatment, followed by reductions in all waiting lists and an end to waiting on trolleys.

Better treatment for heart patients is sought

One Welsh patient, who believes he may have to wait up to six years for a hip replacement, said he is determined to campaign for the right to faster treatment.

Other respondents called for NHS funded long-term care for the elderly, expanded cancer screening programmes, more pay for nurses and the ability to see a GP within 48 hours.

There were also calls for an end to postcode prescribing, cleaner hospitals and more money to help the mentally ill.

An increase in nurses' pay was rated as a top priority by significantly more people than an increase in doctors' pay.

Some 75% of those surveyed said increasing hospital consultants' pay was not a priority, compared with just 24% who said the same about nurses' pay.

Unpopular areas

Areas rated as a top priority by the fewest people included abolishing mixed sex wards; increasing access to alternative medicine; refurbishing hospitals; and fixing hospital appointments for the convenience of the patient.

There was also little support for the idea that the NHS should focus on using spare capacity in private hospitals to carry out NHS work. Some 63% of those surveyed said it should not be a priority.

Neither did the public think that health education campaigns should be a top priority.

Two-thirds of people surveyed said that extending the telephone helpline NHS Direct should not be a priority.

Six out of ten disagreed with the idea of prioritising access to NHS fertility treatment, and a massive 89% were opposed to prioritising the availability of cosmetic surgery on the NHS.

Top five

During NHS Day, BBC viewers and listeners will be asked to chose their top priority from the list of 12 produced by the poll. This will eventually be whittled down to a list of five.

Click here for details of how to vote

The results will be put to the Prime Minister on Wednesday evening in a debate on the future of the health service.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said the findings chimed with the aims set out in the government's NHS plan.

"In the past we have sometimes been criticised for setting waiting times targets for hospital treatment or to see a GP.

"This poll shows that, as we said in the NHS Plan, waiting is the public's top concern."

ICM carried out face-to-face interviews with 1,124 adults between January 22 and February 3.

The interviews were conducted in 92 randomly selected parliamentary constituencies.