Criticise us and we’ll ban you, GPs tell patients

PATIENTS at a GPs’ surgery face being removed from the practice list if they post negative comments on social media.

A message at the Loudoun Medical Practice, which operates two surgeries in Darvel and Newmilns, Ayrshire, states that employees have recently experienced ‘inappropriate’ use of social media in relation to the delivery of medical care.

The practice, run by Dr Antoni Kondol and partners, warns in its message that patients could be removed from the practice list if they are found to have made ‘defamatory or derogatory’ comments.

Its Newmilns surgery has recently cut its opening hours to around three hours a day ‘to allow adequate staffing’, prompting criticism from patients on social media.

Responding to the closure on Facebook, one patient said:

‘Any point opening at all?’

‘Doctors was shut yesterday before half 12, is there any point them being open at all?’

Others described the restricted opening times as ‘a joke’.

The notice on the practice website reads: ‘The practice has experienced inappropriate use of social networking sites relating to delivery of medical care.

‘We operate a zero tolerance policy and patients found to have posted defamatory or derogatory comments relating to any medical, nursing or administration staff or healthcare delivery may be removed from the practice list.’

Eddie Fraser, director of East Ayrshire health and social care partnership, said: ‘After receiving abusive messages, Loudoun Medical Practice made the decision to support their staff and deter further offensive comments from patients.

‘No patients have been removed from the practice list as a result of posts on social media.’