In an attempt to provide doctors with greater clarity on their use of social media, the General Medical Council has introduced a new duty stating that they must not use digital communications channels to mislead.

The regulator has launched a 12-week consultation on the content of Good medical practice, guidance which outlines the professional values, knowledge and behaviours expected of doctors working in the UK.

Included for the first time is a duty for doctors to act, or support others to act, if they become aware of workplace bullying, harassment or discrimination, as well as zero tolerance of sexual harassment.

More noticeably, the draft guidance also contains a new duty makes clear that they must not use digital communications channels to mislead, and they should ‘make reasonable checks’ to avoid doing so.

It says that doctors must ‘be honest and trustworthy, make clear the limits of their knowledge [and] make reasonable checks to make sure any information given is not misleading’.

Charlie Massey, GMC chief executive, said: “Good medical practice is not a set of rules, but it is the bedrock that helps guide ethical practice in a world of increasingly complex medicine. This update is designed to reflect the type of fair, inclusive and compassionate workplaces we all want to see, and that are good for doctors as well as for patients.

“There is a lot of evidence of the damage bad workplace cultures can do to patient safety and, ultimately, to the UK’s ability to retain the healthcare professionals it needs. Toxic cultures can also spread online, undermining public trust in the medical profession. It is important our guidance reflects the reality of what doctors face and the cultures many are working in, and that it supports them to be able to do the best for their patients and for their colleagues.

“We want this guidance to be relevant and helpful now and for years ahead, and to achieve that we need to hear from those who will use it. That is what this consultation is all about.”