This Opinion piece by Sabira Hughes, as published in the BMJ, can be read here.
I have submitted this reply [see below]. All the published replies can be read here
Achieving a balance can be difficul
By Peter Scott-Gordon, 26 October 2025
Sabrina Hughes outlines the risks medical professionals might encounter through their use of social media [1]. She reminds professionals of GMC guidance which states “How you behave when using social media matters. Medical professionals, like everyone else, have rights to freedom of belief, privacy, and expression. But exercising these rights when using social media as a medical professional has to be balanced with the possible impact on other people’s rights and interests.”
It is not surprising that a piece written for a medical journal the focus is on the risks to the professional. What is not addressed in this Opinion piece are the risks to the general public when medical professionals fail to follow GMC guidance on use of social media. Many authorities, including Baroness Cumberlege in her First Do No Harm report, have recognised the power imbalance that exists between medical professionals and the public, and the harm that can result from this [2]. This imbalance applies on social media as much as in other settings and makes it particularly important that professional values are followed when medical professionals engage on social media.
This can be particularly challenging when professionals, consciously or unconsciously, are prompted to react defensively. Some public debates around medical subjects have become particularly heated and polarised, and there are plenty of examples of medical professionals using language that they would never use in other circumstances. This matters because valuable contributions from non-professionals may be less likely to be offered if a hostile response is anticipated. Social media interactions are also different to those in face-to-face settings because of the additional factors highlighted in Sokol’s response [3].
Doctors should not only behave well on social media in order to protect their careers, but also to respect the responsibility that goes along with being a medical professional.