A new public opinion poll suggests a majority of Canadians would rather pay out of their own pocket to avoid waiting for medical procedures.

Sixty-three per cent of respondents said they would be willing to "pay out of pocket" to gain faster access to medical services for themselves or their family members, according to a poll conducted by Pollara and published in The Globe and Mail Friday.

The poll was conducted between June 20 and June 25, days after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Quebec's ban on using private insurance for services covered under medicare.

In its landmark ruling, the court said the public system has failed to deliver health care in a timely and reliable way.

Poll results also indicated that 55 per cent of Canadians agree with the ruling that they should have the right to buy private health insurance.

Meanwhile, 73 per cent of respondents believed the judgment was a step toward creating a two-tiered health-care system.

Michael Marzolini, head of the national polling firm, says the results indicate Canadians are committed to medicare but are open to new ways to repair the health-care system.

"Neither of the political parties has shown much in the way of creativity in terms of policies," he told The Globe.

Earlier this month, Quebec's attorney general asked the high court for an 18-month stay of its judgment.

The delay is needed to protect public medicare from harmful effects of a parallel, private health care system, says a motion filed with the court.

The poll is accurate within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.