A Kinross-shire health centre has warned patients found making offensive, derogatory or defamatory social media posts against its practices could be struck off.
Loch Leven Health Centre says the step follows increasing incidences of abuse.
The health centre in Kinross is home to both Orwell Medical Practice and St Serf’s Medical Practice.
A statement on the health centre’s website said: “Social media includes but is not limited to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.
“If the practices become aware of any postings made by our patients on social media/social networking platforms and we consider these to be offensive, derogatory or defamatory towards the practices, or if they are personal attacks or hostile towards a member of our team we will view this as a potential breakdown in the practice/patient relationship.
“We will contact the patient(s) concerned, make them aware of this policy and consider the action(s) we wish to take.
“These may include inviting the patient(s) to communicate directly with us about their concerns and/or formally advising them that we reserve the right to remove them from our practice list if they continue to post such comments.
“If comments have been threatening, abusive or extreme we reserve the right to immediately remove those involved from our list without notice and/or involve the police.
“We will also contact the administrators of the relevant social media/networking platform, remind them of their liabilities for statements made on the page(s) they administer as libel laws apply to social media/social networking as they do to any publication, and request that such posts be removed with immediate effect.
“If you have a genuine complaint about the service you have received from the Practices these should be raised using our complaints procedure.
“You would not expect to read derogatory comments about yourself at your place of work, nor do we.”
Local councillors back move from Loch Leven Health Centre
Kinross-shire councillor Willie Robertson said he fully supports the move.
The Lib Dem councillor said: “There is a clear procedure published for anyone who wishes to lodge a complaint. Social media is not the correct platform.”
Conservative Kinross-shire councillor Neil Freshwater added: “I am not personally aware of any abusive comments about the centre, and it’s a shame they have needed to resort to this policy.
“I appreciate it can be very frustrating when residents are having challenges accessing NHS services and there needs to be a means for people to voice their concerns, but social media attacks on individuals working in the practice are wholly unacceptable.”
Conversation