Rudd down as preferred PM: poll

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

AAP

KEVIN Rudd's rating as preferred prime minister has hit a new low, but his government's public hospitals reform package is a hit with voters, a new poll has found.

According to the latest Fairfax/Nielsen poll, 57 per cent of those polled prefer Mr Rudd as prime minister, down one point on the previous poll, while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is up four points to 35 per cent.

A whopping 79 per cent of those polled support the hospitals overhaul, the Nielsen poll found, while in Victoria, where Premier John Brumby has led the states' attack on Mr Rudd's plan and where hospitals run more efficiently, there was 75 per cent support, compared with 85 per cent in NSW.

Mr Rudd's personal approval rating is down three points to 57 per cent - his lowest score since the 2007 election - while Mr Abbott's is up six points to 50 per cent - a 15 month-high for an opposition leader.

In two-party terms, Labor leads the Coalition 53-47 - down from 54-46 last month.

The national poll of 1400 was taken from Thursday to Saturday.

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he's encouraged by new polls showing his popularity has risen among voters.

"I'm encouraged, obviously, but there's a long way to go," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney when asked about the latest poll.

"People will be subjecting the coalition as well as the government to very intense scrutiny in the run-up to the election," he added.

According to the latest Fairfax/Nielsen poll, 57 per cent of respondents prefer Kevin Rudd as prime minister, down one point on the previous poll, while support for Mr Abbott is up four points to 35 per cent.