What doctors can – and can’t – say on social media

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By Rohan Simon

Society loses out if doctors feel they cannot exercise their freedom of speech online, but there are important limits to know about.

Doctors are citizens. They are entitled to hold views, express opinions, campaign, criticise policy, participate in public debate and speak out about matters they consider important. That includes political, moral, religious, scientific and social issues.

Doctors often get to see up close the impact of public policy, inequality, health service pressures, misinformation, social division and conflict. It is therefore unsurprising that many feel a professional, moral or personal duty to speak.

The important point is this: being a doctor does not remove your right to freedom of expression, but it does change the context in which your expression may be assessed.

A comment made by a doctor can carry more weight with the public. It may be interpreted as a professional view, even where it was intended as a personal one. And if a concern is raised with the General Medical Council (GMC), the question is not simply whether the doctor was entitled to speak. It is whether their conduct was compatible with professional standards, patient trust, public confidence and the rights of others.