A rising variety of Australian GPs have reported being subjected to frivolous or vexatious complaints to the well being regulator about social media posts opposing Israel’s warfare in Gaza.
Dr Michael Wright, president of the Royal Australian School of Common Practitioners (RACGP), wrote to the Australian Well being Practitioner Regulation Company (Ahpra) on 14 August about “concerning reports” from a number of members of the school who had “publicly expressed views on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
The GPs have been subjected to complaints to Ahpra after “expressing opinions, including those of a political nature, on social media, or participating in activities criticising the treatment of civilians in Gaza”, the letter mentioned.
The letter mentioned RACGP members suggested that the ensuing investigations had tied up medical doctors for months, however in the end that they had incurred no disciplinary motion.
Noting the “growing number of complaints about social media activity linked to the conflict in Gaza”, the RACGP requested Ahpra to “commit to fast-tracking the assessment and finalisation of complaints of this nature”.
The school additionally requested Ahpra to raise the prominence of its steerage on what constitutes reportable social media exercise, together with making “a proactive statement” on its criticism data web page, which now incorporates no apparent reference to a practitioner expressing private views on social media.
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The school had longstanding considerations about extended Ahpra investigations and the toll unresolved complaints and drawn-out investigations took on the psychological well being of practitioners, the letter mentioned.
“Every effort must be made to improve the timeliness of investigations to minimise the harm caused to practitioners, particularly where a complaint is made vexatiously or deemed frivolous by Ahpra,” the letter mentioned.
This week, Guardian Australia reported that the high-profile doctor Dr Stephen Parnis had stepped down from his position as chair of the board of the Medical Insurance coverage Group of Australia (Miga) in an obvious response to considerations about his social media posts opposing the warfare in Gaza.
A letter-writing marketing campaign to Miga in assist of Parnis famous that the medical board’s code of conduct acknowledged the rights of medical doctors to specific their private views according to their ethics, and mentioned the matter raised “questions about whether … Miga will support its members who are targeted by vexatious complaints”.
Miga declined to touch upon the circumstances of Parnis’s resignation, however its appearing chair, Prof Owen Ung, mentioned Miga revered the rights of members to carry and specific private and numerous views, and that it supported, represented and advocated for all its members, no matter id.
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Ahpra’s social media steerage for medical practitioners says: “Registered practitioners will not be investigated purely for holding or expressing their views on social media.”
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It incorporates examples of posts that might not often warrant regulatory motion, similar to advocating for a peaceable decision of a warfare or battle, urging the safety of well being employees and well being amenities caught in a battle or warfare, or calling for accuracy, fact and impartiality in reporting on a battle or warfare.
Wright advised Guardian Australia extended investigation processes by Ahpra might trigger “undue stress and reputational harm” to practitioners.
“The RACGP agrees with Ahpra’s statement that practitioners should not be investigated for expressing their personal views on social media,” he mentioned.
A spokesperson for Ahpra and its nationwide boards confirmed that it had obtained the letter from the RACGP, and mentioned notifications had been made to Ahpra about practitioners masking “a range of political views expressed on social media”, together with allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
“We are carefully reviewing social media use in line with our assessment process and expect to be able to respond to individual concerns quickly,” the spokesperson mentioned. “This includes taking into account the significant distress felt by practitioners concerned about the safety of individuals within the Jewish and Palestinian communities in Israel and Gaza.”
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