Doctors who share “misleading” information on social media may face regulatory action, according to planned new guidelines.
The posts made on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are among those that can be reviewed by the General Medical Council (GMC) if a doctor is reported.
The Council needs to update its guide to good medical practice, seen by some as the modern Hippocratic Oath, for the first time in almost a decade.
The latest project says that doctors must be honest and reliable, to clarify the limits of their knowledge [and] do reasonable checks to make sure that information is not misleading. “
This is the first proposed update of the manual from 2013 and is offered for consultation. The document will also oblige doctors to act if they find out about harassment in the workplace, as well as discrimination and sexual harassment.
“Good medical practice is the foundation that helps guide ethical practice and supports physicians in providing the best possible care in the world of increasingly complex medicine,” said Charlie Massi, GMC’s chief executive.
“This update aims to be relevant and useful to health professionals and to benefit patients, now and for years to come. There is a lot of evidence of the damage that bad cultures in the workplace can do to patient safety and ultimately to the UK’s ability to retain the healthcare professionals it needs. “
Prof. Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, said: “Good medical practice provides the basic ethical principles that all doctors in the UK must follow to provide patients with the best possible care.
“A lot has changed in medicine in recent years and the pandemic has sharpened the pressure on first-line medical staff.
“That’s why it’s important to be able to reflect on the professional values, knowledge and behavior that are expected of our doctors and surgeons.”
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