Social Media Guidance

Social Media Guidance

More and more people are using social media as their main form of communication and way of receiving news and information. This can be advantageous to practices as it can be used to promote services and get messages out to patients, but it also comes with many potential pitfalls if patients decide to use it as a forum to air negative views.

There is some excellent guidance available on all aspects of social media including how practices can develop their use of it, template practice policies and guidance for staff, and ways of handling situations when patients misuse social media.

BMA guidance is available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/social-media-guidance-for-doctors

RCGP have produced a social media highway code which is available at: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/social-media

Social media template policies for practices are available for practices who register with First Practice Management at: http://www.firstpracticemanagement.co.uk/

ACAS also provide useful guidance relating to staff at: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3375