Under proposed new guidance from the UK medical watchdog, social media posts could be scrutinised if a doctor is reported for a breach.
The General Medical Council (GMC) is updating its Good Medical Practice guide, which is seen by some as a “modern Hippocratic Oath.”
A new draft duty makes clear that doctors must not use digital communications channels to mislead, and they should “make reasonable checks” to avoid doing so.
The watchdog can refer cases to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), which has the power to restrict, suspend, or revoke a doctor’s registration in the UK.
On the GMC’s orders in 2021, GP Dr. Samuel White, a partner in a rural medical practice in Hampshire, England, was restricted from discussing COVID-19 on social media after he was accused of spreading “misinformation” for disputing vaccine safety and mask efficacy, pending a full hearing of the allegations against him.
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